Night Singer
by DragonSun
Summary: This is a blend of Vampire Princess Miyu and Escaflowne, but it's mostly Escaflowne. V/H, major bashing on both--not that I dislike them, it's just the story. R&R, please! NEW CHAPTERS!!!
1. Default Chapter

Night Singer  
  
Prologue  
  
She is honor-bound to fulfill her destiny, at whatever cost. She did not wish for this immortal life of solitude. She is not a mortal. Far from it. She is what one might call Dead. And yet, she is not Dead. She is in the twilight between human and demon. A halfling. Immortal halfling. It is her destiny to hunt down and destroy rogue demons who have escaped the Shadows. Her bite offers humans the gift of eternal happiness, yet she herself is destined to fight and destroy demons forever, in perpetual solitude. Who is she?  
  
She is nothing else.  
  
And yet she is something.  
  
She is Dead.  
  
And yet she is not.  
  
She is lonely.  
  
She longs for companionship, this thing humans call love. Because she is a halfling, she possesses a soul. With a soul comes the ability to have certain emotions. But she is destined—honor-bound, to remain alone for all eternity. It is her curse.  
  
A gift?  
  
No.  
  
She is Hitomi.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Hi! DragonSun here.  
  
What happens when you mix Vampire Princess Miyu and Escaflowne? You get this horrifyingly crazy and insane story!  
  
I don't own either of the shows. But I do have all the theme songs stuck in my head. They clash horribly with each other. It hurts my ears.  
  
Enough blabbering…to the Story!  
  
Chapter One: Night Singer  
  
"Hey, Hitomi! Wait up!" Yukari yelled.  
  
The dark haired girl turned. "Yukari." Her voice was soft, tranquil. Her hair, dark, a knife-edge between black and brown, was cut short and her school uniform hung loosely on her slender frame. She was rather tall, not noticeably so, but tall nonetheless. Her eyes were strange; they were golden green, framed by dark lashes. Her mouth was small, set, and serious.  
  
"Hitomi, could I come over today? I've never been to your house before," Yukari asked. "Mother and Father are fighting again," she added. "Please?"  
  
Hitomi shook her head. "I am afraid you cannot," she murmured. "I'm sorry, Yukari."  
  
Yukari nodded. "Okay…"  
  
*****************  
  
Hitomi sat upon roof, letting the breeze fly through her hair. A tall youth in a black cloak stood silently behind her. He wore a mask, and none could see his face.  
  
"If only she knew I had no home to offer her," Hitomi whispered.  
  
"This is your home, Hitomi. It is beautiful," the youth said quietly.  
  
"Yes…it gives such a lovely view of the moon…" Her gaze remained serious, but her tone had changed. "Such trivial things…" She stared at the moon, her strange eyes glowing.  
  
"Van…we have been together for a long time…"  
  
"Nothing short of a few centuries," Van replied.  
  
"There has not been a single demonic occurrence in some time," Hitomi said.  
  
"If you call a week a long time, Hitomi…" Van's grave face smiled behind his mask.  
  
"I am not used to this immortality. It is rather new," Hitomi retorted coldly.  
  
"I'm sorry. I did not mean disrespect," Van said.  
  
"It is all right," Hitomi's eyes, golden with the light of the moon, looked off into the distance.  
  
She was beginning to relax under the cool, silvery touch of the night, when a familiar tingle came to the symbol on her forehead. Her eyes, once gold, now flashed green. "Demons always make a habit of appearing when I least want them," she murmured. Van looked at her carefully through his mask. Had he seen a corner of her mouth twitching into a smile? It had been quite a while since he'd seen that.  
  
"What do you sense?" he asked.  
  
"An Eastern demon," she answered. "It is powerful, but it has just escaped from the Shadows, and it should be weak."  
  
"We should take it, then," Van suggested.  
  
She nodded briskly. "Let us go."  
  
Van vanished first. Hitomi followed.  
  
*****************  
  
The demon was about to make a meal of a human. So it is a vampiric type, Hitomi thought. Easy prey.  
  
She opened her mouth, and three pure notes sounded. The demon turned. Hitomi did not shudder. She was used to grotesque forms by now.  
  
"You! Guardian!" the demon cried. It was not any shape. More of a cloud of black.  
  
Hitomi nodded.  
  
"I don't like to be disturbed when I'm eating," the demon growled.  
  
Hitomi's eyes narrowed. She lifted her hand, and a flame grew.  
  
"Back to the Shadows, demon!" she shouted, and released the flame.  
  
The demon destroyed the flame as if it were a breeze. Hitomi backed away in surprise. The demon attacked in a whirring haze. "Van," Hitomi said.  
  
The male demon was there in an instant. Silently, he used his forearm to block the mist. The demon roared and released another attack, this time a volley of sharp clouds, in the shape of knives. Van dodged them easily, whirling around to face them again as they attacked from the back.  
  
"Van, his hands!" Hitomi commanded.  
  
Van seemed to nod. He moved forward in a fluid motion and the demon's hands, or dust, were severed with a red flash. The demon bellowed in shocked pain, but came at them again. Once more, Van saved her by blocking the demon with his own body. The attack rebounded, and, for the moment, the demon lay stunned.  
  
"To the Shadows!" Hitomi summoned the flames again. She did not miss.  
  
The light from the fires illuminated her grave face as she watched in grim satisfaction as the demon vanished. Van nodded her way.  
  
Hitomi walked to the human. The trembling person regarded her with fear-filled eyes. "N-no—please…"  
  
"I will not take your blood tonight, for I sense you have loved ones, and that you are happy enough," Hitomi whispered gently. "Sleep now, and tomorrow will be better."  
  
She turned to Van. Van disappeared. A minute later, Hitomi had as well, leaving the bewildered man lying on the road.  
  
**************  
  
"Hey, Hitomi! Where have you been?" Myoshi asked.  
  
"Out," Hitomi said simply.  
  
"How much more vague can you get, Hitomi?" Yukari smiled brightly at her friend.  
  
Hitomi did not return the smile; she never did, but her eyes sparkled briefly at Yukari. She seemed somewhere else entirely.  
  
"Oh, you have to be quiet," Kenji said to her backpack. Yukari looked at her.  
  
"Uh, Kenji? You're talking to your backpack."  
  
"Shh! Don't tell anyone!" Kenji hissed. She reached into her pouch and pulled out an adorable kitten. At once Myoshi and Yukari dissolved into fits of aww's, and 'isn't it cute?', while Hitomi watched, amused.  
  
"I named it Lim," Kenji said. "Do you know anyone who will take it? My parents are allergic."  
  
Yukari shook her head. "Mother would never allow it."  
  
"I'm allergic," Myoshi said.  
  
Hitomi remained silent.  
  
"Say, 'Tomi? Why don't you take it, huh?"  
  
"Oh…I don't know, Kenji…" Hitomi murmured, jamming her hands in her pockets and refusing to look at the kitten.  
  
"Pleeeeease?" Kenji clasped her hands.  
  
"Oh…I'll think about it," Hitomi said.  
  
"Great! I knew I could count on you!" Kenji exclaimed.  
  
**************  
  
"Van, what would you say if I got an animal?" Hitomi murmured. She watched her demon friend's mask intently.  
  
"Well…it would depend on the creature you decided on," Van said.  
  
"It's a cat. Fairly young. I'm sure I could care for it."  
  
"I would help you," Van pledged. "Whatever happens, I'm behind you all the way."  
  
"An animal? Did I hear you correctly?" A clear, tinkling voice said. Hitomi clenched her teeth.  
  
"What do you want, Nihon?" (A/N: just so you know, Nihon = Japan. Stupid, I know. She's like Reiha. Think Reiha.)  
  
The beautiful girl smiled at her. "Well, might I remind you that a guardian is forbidden to have an animal. If you don't like this, perhaps we could switch our jobs?"  
  
She smiled sweetly. Hitomi wanted to rip her throat out. But it was against Guardian law to attack a Summoner, and Nihon was just that.  
  
"Nihon," Van said. "Leave."  
  
"Ah, so this is the former stray?" Nihon laughed.  
  
Hitomi detected a snarl in Van's voice as he repeated his words.  
  
"I was only reminding you of your duty, my friend, Guardian," Nihon smiled again, and left.  
  
"You shouldn't listen to her, Hitomi," Van said quietly.  
  
"She is right, though…" Hitomi muttered. "I cannot disobey the laws. I shall tell Kenji I cannot accept her offer."  
  
She sighed, and Van placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I swore to you that I would follow you until you chose to end this," Van reminded her gently. "You are not alone."  
  
But none can ever love me, for I am the Guardian. I must hunt and destroy. That is all I do. None can ever love me, she thought, and sighed again.  
  
"Yes. Thank you," she said.  
  
She was reminded of how Van came to be with her.  
  
He was a Western Demon who had come to Japan several centuries ago, in hopes of conquest. She, protector of her homeland and sworn to banish all demons, had met him there on the shore…  
  
  
  
"So this is Japan? Not really worth conquering," the youth said. His black hair fell over his eyes, eyes that were gray.  
  
"Western Demon," she caught his attention with a flame.  
  
"So, what are you? A welcoming party?"  
  
"Something like it. It is my duty to destroy all demons."  
  
"Hmmm…some welcoming party. I will destroy you, and this kingdom will be mine. Though it is not much to look upon…"  
  
"It is my homeland," she said simply.  
  
"Ah…so you are the Guardian. It will be interesting to fight you."  
  
"An honor, I am sure," she spat, and they began.  
  
"Hitomi?" Van snapped her back to reality.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"It's getting late."  
  
"I never sleep," she said. "But thank you for your concern."  
  
Van's eyes seemed to twinkle behind his mask. He nodded.  
  
"I will see you tomorrow."  
  
Then vanished.  
  
****************  
  
Van pondered his mistress for a long time. She was lonely, though she gave no indication. Though the fact that she had asked for a creature bothered him.  
  
Wasn't he enough for her?  
  
Van, you are jealous of an animal. Pathetic.  
  
She was too solemn.  
  
Her appearance was that of a sixteen-year-old school girl. His was a seventeen-year-old youth, though his cloak and mask hid his age.  
  
Hitomi…why don't you let your barrier down?  
  
I want to care.  
  
It's just that you won't let me.  
  
Hitomi…  
  
Such a beautiful name…  
  
I am only her guardian—but I could be more, couldn't I?  
  
I promised her to stay with her forever, or until she decided to end it.  
  
She smiled then—a smile entirely for me.  
  
The only smile I've seen coming from her ever before.  
  
I want to make her smile again.  
  
I want to care about her.  
  
She just won't let me.  
  
And so I won't.  
  
Van felt a strange sensation come to his eyes, a burning. He rubbed them, and found his long fingers wet.  
  
Tears?  
  
So now I am like a human.  
  
I weep.  
  
Weakling, he cursed.  
  
Then the sensation vanished, and along with it, the aching in his throat. It was instantly replaced by a tingling.  
  
Western Demons.  
  
His people.  
  
They had returned.  
  
The Light of the Sea—it is here…  
  
****************  
  
Hitomi stared out at the sea. "The ocean…"  
  
"Hitomi?" Van reappeared by her side.  
  
"Van."  
  
"Hitomi. I sense something. The Light of the Sea has returned; I must go to it."  
  
"Van—" something in her voice made him pause.  
  
Concern?  
  
For me?  
  
"Van—don't go. Stay here."  
  
"I'll return," he promised. "When the Light of the Sea is no more, I will return. I give you my word."  
  
"Van…"  
  
He acted on impulse and tilted her head, so she was looking up at him.  
  
"Hitomi, I will return."  
  
She saw the sincerity sparkling in his eyes, behind his mask.  
  
"Van…I cannot allow you to go."  
  
"I'm afraid you have no say in the matter," Van said, and vanished.  
  
His voice lingered on the sea-smelling wind.  
  
"…I will return…when the Light of the Sea is no more…this I swear…"  
  
"Van. Be careful," she whispered, and, she too, vanished. It was quicker to get to her school this way.  
  
  
  
***************  
  
"You seem sad today, Hitomi. What's wrong?" Yukari asked. Hitomi is always sad, she thought. But today it shows much more.  
  
"Nothing, Yukar—"  
  
"Hiya!" Myoshi plunked down beside them.  
  
"Hello!" Kenji said. "So, have you thought about it?"  
  
"I'm…sorry…I can't…I'm not allowed," Hitomi whispered.  
  
"That's okay. Maybe we could get some other guy to adopt the kitten."  
  
"Perhaps," Hitomi sounded doubtful.  
  
"So," Yukari said, after an awkward silence, "how are you and Arik doing, Myoshi?" Arik was Myoshi's boyfriend. They had been together for a month or so now.  
  
"Pretty well," Myoshi said.  
  
"You and Amano?" Kenji ventured.  
  
"Wonderfully," Yukari beamed.  
  
Kenji smiled. "That's nice to know. Toroshino and I are…getting along, I suppose."  
  
"What about you, 'Tomi?" she turned to the solemn-faced girl.  
  
"I…have no one," Hitomi said.  
  
Their conversation was interrupted as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.  
  
***********  
  
Van came to the village where he'd first met Hitomi.  
  
"Ahah! Van! You've finally shown."  
  
He looked around wildly. "Black Knight, show yourself!"  
  
"Ahah! You remember me!"  
  
The Black Knight materialized. His death-horse brayed, and reared. Van prepared himself to charge.  
  
"Pierre sent me to send you a message! He awaits his old friend!" the knight roared jovially.  
  
"His friend is dead," Van retorted. "I am Van Fanel."  
  
"I cannot take no for an answer," the Black Knight smiled. Van felt a shiver run down his spine.  
  
"Very well, then," he said.  
  
In a flash he had pulled his mask off and attacked, conjuring a sword from the air and slashing with it, blocked with his forearms. The knight only grinned as he exchanged blows with the former Stray Demon.  
  
A song filled the air. Van dropped his sword.  
  
Pain.  
  
Agony.  
  
White hot irons being thrust into his temples.  
  
The noise.  
  
Too loud.  
  
Too familiar.  
  
He gasped. "L-Lilith!?"  
  
The Western Demon smiled, her smile as beautiful as he'd remembered it.  
  
She continued to play.  
  
"Lilith—why are—you—doing this—?"  
  
Pain.  
  
Song.  
  
Agony.  
  
Like knives being thrust into his body.  
  
Sharp.  
  
Strident.  
  
Painful.  
  
His ears…  
  
Van screamed, covering his head. He fell to his knees, his mouth wide in a silent wail, his eyes screwed shut against the pain.  
  
"Lilith—why?" he choked, and slumped over onto the ground.  
  
He attempted to raise himself, and he fell back, unconscious.  
  
Lilith, a blond Demon, smiled to herself. Pierre will be pleased, she thought.  
  
Van's mask had long been taken off, and Lilith kicked it aside contemptuously.  
  
"You are not that bitch's slave anymore, my love," she cooed. "You are ours. We will roam the seas forever."  
  
Van made no reply.  
  
  
  
Ahhh! Cliffhanger!  
  
I'm keeping you in suspense. So there.  
  
Um…yeah.  
  
I'm trying to write 3 stories at a time and I know some of ya have more out than that, but I have terrible organization skills and this is freakin' killin' me. I also have this lang. Arts long term project due in a week and I gotta work on that too, so don't kill me.  
  
I've already got some ideas for the second chapter, but if any of y'all have some, PLEASE TELL ME!  
  
DragonSun 


	2. Light of the Sea: Night Singer's Guardi...

Chapter Two: The Light of the Sea  
  
Hi, y'all!  
  
Did you have a nice long wait? Sorry for the late update…  
  
It really wasn't my fault! I swear!  
  
Thanx, unkown-wisdom (if I spelled it wrong, I'm really sorry…) for the compliments. Isn't she just a bit too solemn for you, though?  
  
And thanx to Endless Rain for all the nice things…do you think Larva's cool?  
  
Dark and Mysterious…  
  
I like him…  
  
I don't own either Vampire Princess Miyu or Escaflowne.  
  
  
  
Well, here it is.  
  
Chapter Two: The Light of the Sea  
  
"I think we should go for ice-cream," Yukari smiled.  
  
"Cupcakes!"  
  
"Pizza!"  
  
"Yuck! Let's get Chinese," Kenji suggested.  
  
"No, cupcakes!" Myoshi insisted.  
  
"I still think pizza is the best," Toroshino said, sending his younger sister a look. Myoshi pouted.  
  
"What about you, Hitomi?" Yukari turned to her friend.  
  
Ice-cream…cupcakes…pizza…Chinese…the names were spinning in Hitomi's head.  
  
"I don't know," she said quietly. "Whatever you think is best."  
  
"Then it's ice-cream!"  
  
"Pizza!"  
  
"Why can't we ever eat Chinese?" Kenji wailed.  
  
"Cupcakes, please!"  
  
"Hitomi, you should pick," Toroshino grinned. "You haven't chosen for us ever before."  
  
"I really don't know," Hitomi said, her voice growing dangerously soft—almost menacing.  
  
"Chocolate ice-cream?" Yukari said.  
  
"Pepperoni," Toroshino argued.  
  
"Pepperoni ice-cream?" Myoshi exclaimed. "T'oshin', that's really gross!"  
  
"I mean pepperoni pizza," Toroshino explained patiently.  
  
"Lo mein," Kenji cried.  
  
"Vanilla cupcakes with icing and those little pink sprinkles," Myoshi licked her lips at a pleasant memory, "we had them for my birthday once."  
  
"Stop!" Hitomi ordered, her voice snapping through the bickering like a whip.  
  
The silence was almost penetrating.  
  
"We'll go to some fast-food joint. This way we can all get what we want."  
  
"I don't think they serve pizza at McDonalds," Toroshino muttered, naming the only fast-food restaurant he knew. He quailed under Hitomi's solemn glare. "Okay, okay—fast-food it is! Chill out, 'Tomi."  
  
"Way to go, Hitomi!" Yukari cheered, but her smile faded when she saw Hitomi's face. The girl's eyes were dark green, and they reminded Yukari of thunderclouds gathering before a storm.  
  
Myoshi pretended not to notice. "Come on. Arik can drive us. He'll eat anything," she added, with a little laugh. "So it doesn't really matter to him."  
  
*************  
  
Van should have returned by now.  
  
The thought nagged at the back of her mind until it filled her very being.  
  
The same statement.  
  
Van should have returned by now.  
  
"He should have," she whispered. She was worried.  
  
"Hello, there, Guardian," Nihon's tinkling voice rang out. Hitomi bit her lip. I do not need her as well.  
  
"What now?" she demanded.  
  
"There is a stray Shinma," Nihon used the Japanese term for demon, "on the loose. But of course, you must have sensed it by now."  
  
Hitomi ground her teeth. "I will investigate, Nihon. You," her voice grew steely, "shall leave now and allow me to finish my duty."  
  
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly," Nihon declared, in a voice of syrupy sweetness. "I shall accompany you. I do know where she is, after all."  
  
Hitomi was silent.  
  
"Where is your servant?" Nihon smiled.  
  
"Not here," Hitomi hissed.  
  
"Oh?" Nihon's smile grew into a smirk.  
  
"He is away."  
  
"And you allowed him? Guardians do not allow their servants to roam, my friend."  
  
Hitomi snarled something incoherently, but Nihon understood.  
  
The smaller, black-haired girl vanished. Hitomi glared fiercely at the spot where she had been. Then, she too, vanished.  
  
  
  
************  
  
"Ryohe!" a woman screamed.  
  
Ryohe's head snapped in that direction. "Naomi?"  
  
Another scream answered him.  
  
He broke into a swift run, only to be confronted by a strange scene.  
  
The woman he loved was surrounded by two oddly dressed girls.  
  
"Get away from her!" he snapped. "Naomi!"  
  
"Ryohe!" Naomi cried, relief flooding her eyes.  
  
Hitomi's eyes flashed green. Another Shinma?  
  
"How is it, Ryohe, that you too are a demon?" she said coldly.  
  
"I am. But you've got the wrong person. Naomi is a human, she's innocent! You've got to let her go," Ryohe growled.  
  
"I'm not," Naomi whispered.  
  
She closed her eyes and her true form was revealed.  
  
"Naomi—" Ryohe gasped. She pulled him to her.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said softly. Ryohe grinned, and his own form burst from beneath the human shell.  
  
"Please, don't destroy us! Don't send us back to the Shadows. We are only trying to make a living in this world."  
  
Hitomi could sense their sincerity. She stalled Nihon's attack with a raised hand.  
  
"Do you know anything of a certain Western Demon?"  
  
"No…but there was a whole ship of them that came to my village. I fought, and when I woke, Naomi was trying to heal me," Ryohe said. He tightened his grip around Naomi's shoulder.  
  
"A shipload…"  
  
"Three, actually. A French-man, an American Demoness, and a Knight."  
  
"Interesting," Hitomi said dryly. She had an idea. "Take me to them, and perhaps I will spare your life."  
  
She ignored Nihon's sputtering in the background.  
  
*****************  
  
  
  
"He refuses to awaken," Pierre growled.  
  
"I'm not sure what you mean, dear," Lilith said.  
  
"I've tried everything. He's no longer suffering from your song- spell, but he refuses to awaken."  
  
"Perhaps…"  
  
"I know the Guardian, damn her, as cast a spell on him. Perhaps she has taken his very soul."  
  
"Perhaps, Pierre."  
  
"I will concoct another potion. Just to see. Oh, and has the Guardian taken the bait?"  
  
"Yes, Pierre."  
  
Pierre gave a laugh. "Good," he said. "Good. We'll be seeing her soon."  
  
****************  
  
"How could you—how could you?!" Nihon gasped.  
  
"Shut the hell up, Nihon." Hitomi rarely used profanity, but the Summoner was just seriously getting on her nerves.  
  
Nihon's protests faltered and died.  
  
She smiled slyly.  
  
"I never knew your servant was running rampant, Guardian. I thought you could control him."  
  
"He has a will, Nihon," Hitomi snapped. "I will allow him to do as he wishes. That is friendship, after all. I trust him."  
  
Nihon laughed mockingly.  
  
It cut to Hitomi's very soul.  
  
She knew she could not attack the Summoner. But a threat might do. So she lit a flame in her hand and waved it menacingly in front of Nihon's face.  
  
"Now you listen, Nihon. I. Am. The. Guardian. And. I. Will. Not. Tolerate. This. Crap. From. You!" She narrowed her eyes. "If. You. Ever. Criticize. Van. Again. Or. Me. I. Will. See. To. It. That. You. Pay." (Damn, long sentences written like that get kinda strange.)  
  
Nihon smiled sweetly. "As you wish, my friend."  
  
Hitomi wanted to strangle her.  
  
Smash her up against a wall.  
  
Set her aflame.  
  
Over and over again.  
  
Until she was worse than dead.  
  
Instead, she clenched her fists and kept her mouth shut, trembling slightly with rage.  
  
"Ryohe, lead us on," she said, and added. "I am putting my life in your hands. Do not think to double-cross me. I trust you." Ryohe nodded, linking arms with her, and she, in turn, too Naomi's hand. Nihon grabbed Ryohe's other hand, and all vanished.  
  
***************  
  
"Van…come back to us…" Pierre chanted. He stopped in disgust. "This is not working. Damn that Guardian and her spell! Van, I will free you from it."  
  
***************  
  
"So this is the village," Hitomi whispered. "It is where I first met Van."  
  
A heavy mist settled over the village. "Strange…usually I know what the people around here are doing," Ryohe said uneasily.  
  
A flumping noise.  
  
Many noises.  
  
People.  
  
Hitomi's eyes flashed green.  
  
They are being controlled by a Demon, she realized.  
  
"Show yourself, demon!" she ordered.  
  
Nihon sent a wave of ice toward the people. They stopped and were frozen.  
  
"Nihon, there was no need to do that. They were innocent. They could have been freed from the Demon's spell," Hitomi said.  
  
"It is quicker," Nihon sniffed.  
  
"Ahah! So you are the Guardian!"  
  
The Black Knight had come.  
  
Hitomi smiled challengingly. "So I am. Black Knight. Where is Van?"  
  
The Knight answered with a bellow, and charged. Hitomi dodged the knight's lance and the death-horse's hooves with ease. She summoned the flame to her hand, as Nihon summoned the ice. Both shot from different angles. The flame hit ice and rebounded, causing the Demon no harm. Hitomi bit her lip in frustration. Nihon, stop interfering!  
  
The Knight roared, slashing wildly with his lance. Hitomi gasped in pain as the death-horse's hoof impacted with her shoulder, shattering it. She was a Demon, too, though, and her shoulder healed within a matter of seconds. "Into the Shadows, Shinma!" Nihon cried, and sent the ice. Hitomi counteracted it with her flame, glaring at the Summoner. The Knight went for her again, but Ryohe intervened.  
  
"Get lost, creep," he shouted.  
  
Hitomi took the opportunity to bring her own flame into view.  
  
"To the Shadows!" she said, and struck the knight.  
  
He roared, falling into a pile of dust that burned merrily, crackling.  
  
Nihon glared at Hitomi. Hitomi met the glare with her own.  
  
It was Nihon who first looked away.  
  
Ryohe pointed. "Look! There it is," he said.  
  
Hitomi looked, and saw a ship rising out of the heavy mist.  
  
The Light of the Sea—Van's ship. That is where he should be. I will go now. But wait—what—  
  
Four tall spines rose from the water, jagged, sharp, protecting the ship. Hitomi swore under her breath. "I cannot reach the ship," she said.  
  
Naomi said, "I may be of help. I can create a barrier, but not for long."  
  
She gathered her strength and projected. The spines vanished.  
  
Hitomi nodded her thanks. "I promise to spare you, if I return alive."  
  
"Now go, youngling," Naomi gasped. "I can't hold it long!"  
  
Hitomi vanished.  
  
******************  
  
"Barrow's gone," Pierre said, referring to the Black Knight. "Lilith?"  
  
Lilith nodded. "Try to wake him up, love. I'll stop her."  
  
*****************  
  
Hitomi reappeared on the ghostly ship. Ghost wood creaked beneath her feet, ghost sails wailed and moaned in the wind.  
  
This is definitely creepy, she thought.  
  
"Going somewhere?" Lilith's voice ran out.  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes. Now move," Hitomi said angrily, trying to push past the demon who blocked her. Without warning Lilith began to sing.  
  
Hitomi gasped and fell to her knees as the song filled her ears.  
  
It pressed her to the ground, she felt her bones crushing.  
  
She couldn't utter a sound.  
  
Pain…  
  
Then a voice—  
  
Van?  
  
It was!  
  
Hitomi, her skin is like paper. Set her afire. Hitomi…  
  
"Van…" Hitomi whispered. She managed to bring the flame.  
  
Lilith paused. "What are you doing?" she demanded harshly.  
  
"Into the Shadows, demon!" Hitomi cried, and threw her flame.  
  
Lilith screamed. She was consumed by the flames, and her shape vanished.  
  
"Two demons down. How many more to go, though?" Hitomi muttered.  
  
****************  
  
"I'll stay with you until you want to end this, Hitomi. I give you my word," Van whispered.  
  
She backed away from him, a beautiful smile lighting her face.  
  
***************  
  
Pierre watched, his face creased in concentration, as the former stray demon mumbled something incoherent.  
  
"She's got you. And Lilith is gone. But we'll still be together, old friend."  
  
**************  
  
"I'll stay with you until you want to end this, Hitomi. I give you my word," Van whispered.  
  
She backed away from him, a smile lighting her face.  
  
The memory ran through Hitomi's head.  
  
"You'll die, Guardian!" Van shouted.  
  
"No," Hitomi said softly, retaliating with flames. She dodged his sword. He lunged again, and again, always the flames she threw managed to miss him…In the end, though, he'd gotten the better of her with a feint and then…  
  
She shuddered slightly, remembering.  
  
Then he'd impaled her with his sword.  
  
She had gasped once, and choked once, and her eyes had gone wide with shock, blood coming in spurts from her stomach.  
  
Hitomi neared the door of the captain's cabin.  
  
She slammed it open.  
  
Unconscious on the couch lay Van.  
  
"Van!" she cried, relief in her voice. He's here. Oh…Van, Van, Van…  
  
"Guardian. You've come," Pierre said, a growl in his faintly French voice. He lounged atop his mahogany and rosewood table, a bowl of yellow autumn apples beside him.  
  
"I've come to take Van back with me."  
  
"He stays here. I know what you've done to him. Release him from your spell, Guardian!"  
  
Hitomi's eyes narrowed. "Spell?"  
  
"Don't play the innocent with me, Guardian. I'm going to kill you, so Van can be free."  
  
"I never placed him under any spell. Van made a promise, and he intends to keep it."  
  
"Liar!" Pierre pulled an apple from the bowl and threw it into the bubbling concoction he had behind him. A giant beetle emerged from the bowl, buzzing.  
  
Hitomi recoiled involuntarily.  
  
A sun beetle.  
  
Poisonous to those of the Dark side. (A/N: Whoa, major Star Wars quote there…)  
  
"What fool are you, to be playing with that kind of magic?" she hissed.  
  
The sun beetle sucked all energy from those it landed on.  
  
It flew to her, and she gasped and swatted crazily at it.  
  
Regardless of her flailing arm, the beetle landed on her face and took a tight hold. She raised both hands and frantically tried to pry it from her face, but to no avail. The draining began, and she slumped down.  
  
Hitomi! Don't give up! it was Van again.  
  
She nodded, and sent three quavering notes into the air.  
  
Pierre had readied a sword. "I shall kill you with this," he declared, and attacked.  
  
The sun beetle fell to the ground, carved in two, but Hitomi was no where to be seen.  
  
"Where are you?!" Pierre shrieked.  
  
Hitomi smiled mockingly. "The sun beetle failed, demon. Give it up."  
  
Pierre sprang up to meet her.  
  
"Van, wake up!" Hitomi yelled. "Van!" She barely dodged in time as Pierre's attack went sailing by her shoulder.  
  
****************  
  
"I'll stay with you until you want to end this, Hitomi. I give you my word," Van whispered.  
  
She backed away from him, a beautiful smile lighting her face.  
  
"…H-Hitomi…" Van mumbled, a frown creasing his brow. His eyes opened slowly. The room swam into view, foggy, blurred, and it was so confusing…  
  
He felt something probing at his mind.  
  
Van! Van, you promised me. Don't break your promise. Van. Come back…please…  
  
His frown increased. Who—  
  
Then it clicked.  
  
"Hitomi!"  
  
****************  
  
Hitomi refused to close her eyes, even as the blade went whistling by and sliced off a chunk of her hair. She sent sparks of flame at the French demon, fervently wishing that Van would waken.  
  
Van! She concentrated furiously on the unconscious demon. Van, you promised me. Don't break your promise. Van. Come back…please…  
  
***************  
  
Pierre saw the Guardian go into something that resembled a trance, her eyes blank and totally unfocused. Her hands hung at her sides, no longer did the flames shoot from her palms. He took his chance and struck with the sword—  
  
Van's sword, conjured from the air, blocked him.  
  
"Don't do something you'll regret, Pierre," he said quietly.  
  
"Van!" Hitomi's eyes smiled, and Van felt his heart leap.  
  
Pierre turned to Van. "Van, my old friend," he said heartily. "Welcome back. But I must still kill her to rid you of the—"  
  
"Don't," Van hissed.  
  
"You're still under her spell?" Pierre gasped. "But you're awake—"  
  
"Don't hurt her," Van repeated.  
  
Pierre brushed his friend aside. "Under normal circumstances, I would listen to you, Van. But she has killed Lilith and Barrow, and she must pay."  
  
He drew the sword and lunged.  
  
Hitomi saw the sword heading her way. She did not flinch.  
  
Halfway through the air, Pierre stopped.  
  
Van had reappeared in front of Hitomi.  
  
And run him through. Hitomi shuddered when she saw the sword protruding from Pierre's back. Not that she felt queasy, but she knew what mental struggle Van must have been going through. Both demons—Hitomi and Pierre—were important to him. But he had chosen her.  
  
Pierre seemed confused. He collapsed onto Van, his hand gripping the other demon's tightly.  
  
"Van—why—?"  
  
Van spoke, his eyes distant.  
  
"When Hitomi and I fought, I transfixed her with my sword. She died then…"  
  
Yes, she had. She slumped down onto him, and he prepared to pull his sword free when she stirred. He paused, confused. That attack should have killed her, he thought. She looked up with a snarling cry, all traces of green and gold gone from her eyes—there was only red, the redness of a possessed Demon. Hitomi lunged forward and upward, and bit his neck.  
  
Van smiled slightly as he remembered the feel of her lips on his neck. (A/N: Ew…but I needed it to be there…)  
  
"She bit me. And our blood merged—her immortal blood and mine (A/N: if she's immortal how does she die? Don't ask me how Hitomi died, then, cuz I don't know). I died as well. That day we accidentally created a blood pact. I swore to her that I would follow her until she chose to end it."  
  
Hitomi had collapsed into Van's arms, and he had fallen to his knees. All around them, their blood shimmered in wet, thick pools, flowing in rivers down their clothing, from Van's neck wound and Hitomi's stomach wound. Both had blacked out, and, when they awakened, both were whole again, and unharmed.  
  
Pierre tightened his grip on Van's hand, slumping further onto the former stray Demon.  
  
"No spell?" he croaked.  
  
"None. I follow Hitomi because I…" Van trailed off, and Pierre understood.  
  
"She's lucky to have—you, Van—"  
  
"I am truly sorry, old friend," Van whispered, embracing the French Demon.  
  
"Old friend?" for a moment glorious joy lit up Pierre's once clouding purple eyes. "I'm still your friend, then, Van?"  
  
"We always were friends, Pierre…I'll miss you…"  
  
"Van…" Pierre murmured. He squeezed the other Demon's hand in a grip of steel, and went limp, sliding to the floor. Van watched with an impassive expression not even Hitomi could have rivaled.  
  
Hitomi raised Pierre's sword, preparing to stab him with it.  
  
But Van caught her hand as it came down.  
  
"Please," he said softly, "allow him an honorable death."  
  
Hitomi met his eyes and nodded. Van took the sword from her and flung it into the cauldron where a potion had bubbled. It shattered, and, as it did, Pierre's body blew into dust and vanished.  
  
The ship began to burn with blue fire.  
  
"We should be going," Van said.  
  
"Van—" something in Hitomi's voice made him look at her. She took his hand and pressed it to her lips briefly. "Don't ever leave me alone again, Van…"  
  
Van smiled.  
  
"We'd better get back, Naomi and Ryo—oh no!" Hitomi gasped. "Ryohe and Naomi! Nihon's going to—"  
  
  
  
**************  
  
She returned with Van to behold the scene before her. Ryohe, in his true form, was crouched protectively over Naomi, comforting and holding her. Naomi, in turn, was also in her true form. She clutched Ryohe and her eyes were wide with fear. They were both frozen in Nihon's ice. Dead.  
  
Hitomi showed the first signs of emotion that she'd ever felt and let out a cry.  
  
"No!" she gasped. "No!"  
  
Van stood behind her, silent.  
  
"Nihon!" she cried. "Nihon!!"  
  
Nihon appeared. "Well, you weren't going to let them escape punishment, were you?"  
  
"I made a promise to them," Hitomi's voice shook with passionate fury. She rose into the air, and Nihon followed suit. "And you broke it!" she yelled.  
  
Both Summoner and Guardian aimed at each other.  
  
Hitomi released a fraction sooner, but Nihon counteracted with her ice.  
  
Flames met ice, and both held. The light grew brighter and brighter from the energy. Van shielded his eyes.  
  
Hitomi used her other hand to hurl fire at the Summoner, tears of blind rage flowing down her face in a smooth stream. Her face was flushed with anger, and her eyes were beginning to become red.  
  
Both Demons broke contact and made to aim again, when Van enfolded Hitomi in his cloak, hugging her shaking body to his to prevent her from striking again.  
  
"Hitomi—that's enough." Hitomi began to struggle, thought better of it, and relaxed, a puzzled expression on her face.  
  
"True," Nihon smiled, "you are probably exhausted from using your powers. Know this: From this day onward, you and I are enemies. When we meet, we shall fight."  
  
Hitomi's answer was a sneer.  
  
Nihon vanished.  
  
"Van…" Hitomi whispered.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I want to go home…"  
  
Van lifted her carefully in his arms. "I hate to agree with that—" he cut off abruptly, then began anew, "I hate to agree with Nihon, but you are exhausted. You need to rest."  
  
Hitomi nodded, then eased her head onto his shoulder, curling comfortably up in the circle of his arms, and promptly fell into something known as a Vampiric Sleep.  
  
Van grinned, knowing she wouldn't wake for a few days.  
  
Luckily, it is a weekend, he thought, and vanished, carrying his burden gently.  
  
  
  
There's that chapter! Yeah! I thought of making it a cliffhanger but I figured you guys would sue or something. So I didn't.  
  
Number 3 coming soon…  
  
I don't know when…  
  
The Last Generation is coming along very slowly. To all of you that read this, please read that and tell me what to write for chapter 2! PLEASE, I need the advice. If any of you have read The Rebel King, chapter 8 is also up.  
  
You know the song, We All Live in a Yellow Submarine, by the Beatles?  
  
It's stuck in my head.  
  
Oh, it's SO annoying! 


	3. Chapter Three: Anxiety, Also Titled, Hi...

cHAPTER tHREE (tHIS CAPS-LOCK SUCKS HOW DO i TURN IT OFF? oH, NOW i see. Yay, it's off!)  
  
Um, let's do that again, shall we?  
  
Chapter Three, Anxiety: Hitomi Remembers  
  
I don't own either Vampire Princess Miyu or Escaflowne. I wish I did, though. Now let's hope that d- -n caps-lock doesn't turn back on. Sorry for the language, but u know, I use it enough in my stories so who really cares? As long as I'm not saying it out loud.  
  
Hey, when does your school term end? (I'm just asking. If anyone thinks this is perverted then they need a new brain.)  
  
So, let's begin with a basic (And hopefully brief!) synopsis.  
  
Recap: Hitomi is a demon who hunts down other demons  
  
She's destined to remain alone for all eternity, yet now you throw Van in the mix.  
  
Van's a former stray demon who fought Hitomi and lost. They accidentally created a blood pact and so now they're together. But that's not all: apparently Van has some 'feelings' for Hitomi, but he knows that she doesn't really want (or so it appears) someone to love her. And Hitomi herself doesn't know what Van thinks about her, and she thinks no one is allowed to love her because that was her prophesied destiny.  
  
This chapter is going to be…interesting?  
  
NOW (don't worry, caps-lock is NOT on,) let's begin!  
  
Chapter Three: Anxiety, also titled, Hitomi Remembers.  
  
Today's escape will consist of a mask  
  
I found it in a bargain bin  
  
Why do you ask?  
  
Hitomi sighed as she adjusted her school uniform. She had seen so many changes in style—a thousand years ago, she was a servant in a dojo, and the master there had secretly taught her the arts. A thousand years ago, women did not attend schools. From a kimono to Western style and now the simple sailor suit that those in Gakuen stories wore. Long socks and loafers—nothing very special. Her face was an impassive mask, unreadable as a flint wall, as she vanished, only to reappear a block from her school. Appearing right inside the building was bound to draw attention.  
  
Rosie cheeks and a smile  
  
There's no shame in my game of denial  
  
She made sure her bow was straight and that her shoes were spotless before beginning a slow gait to the front of the building.  
  
"Hey, 'Tomi!" Myoshi called. Yukari and Kenji accompanied them, and, in his flashy red sports car, there was Arik. Toroshino was waiting with his bike, and Kenji ran to greet him. Yukari met Amano by the door of the school and they exchanged kisses. It's a disgusting transfer of saliva, Hitomi thought—but wistfully. I wish I had someone…  
  
Don't you touch, move along  
  
Keep your hands inside  
  
Ask enough from afar  
  
Enjoy the ride!  
  
Myoshi waited for her by the school gates. When Hitomi reached her, she began to chat cheerfully about something; Hitomi wasn't really listening. Yukari waved goodbye to Amano and joined them—Kenji smiled at Toroshino and came, too. Hitomi listened to their chatter with one ear, meanwhile probing all her senses. Hunting for a demon. She needed something more to do than trigonometry.  
  
It don't get much better than this!  
  
There's the riff, here's the hook,  
  
Where's the myth?  
  
The myth was here. Demons ceased to exist in the daytime, melding into silly human activities and awaiting the darkness—when they could strike. And they would. Hitomi herself found school life frivolous and boring. She had been through trig at least a thousand times—once every year, a thousand years, constantly changing schools and constantly changing last names. She had once been Uchida Hitomi. Once been Sussanu Hitomi. A thousand times, over and over. She didn't remember her original first name. This year, though, she was Kanzaki Hitomi. She liked the sound of it. If she wanted to keep the same name, she would simply move to a new location, a new school. She'd been in Kyoto, in Tokyo, in Hiroshima, even once lived in a cave just above the Hot Springs of Mt. Fuji. It never ceased to amaze her, however, at how many discoveries in mathematics humans made in the space of a century. The twentieth century had been phenomenal in discoveries—and the twenty-first, which was now, seemed to be rather promising.  
  
Manning my station,  
  
Taking control of the situation  
  
Say hello to my force field  
  
She doodled on her paper as she waited for the infamous "Mouth", Mr. Tolkien (A/N: Yes, Tolkien!) to finish his notorious 'exam preparation' speech, otherwise known as "A Talk to Freak You Out With," blabbering on and on about exams and life's meanings and so on and so on… (A/N: Another note, none of my teachers are like that! They rock the house!) Unconsciously, she drew a demon, a crude drawing of the dust cloud she had faced a few weeks ago.  
  
Beaten down on all fours  
  
And they'll stare as they pass  
  
Please don't feed or provoke  
  
Or tap on the glass  
  
Hitomi waited patiently until class had finished before crumpling her notes up and tossing them in the trash can, feeling a bit worried at how realistic her drawing had seemed. Mr. Tolkien asked to see her after class and she nodded silently, stuffing her hands into her pockets and waiting for the rest of the class to file slowly out. Yukari threw her a sympathetic glance.  
  
"Ms. Kanzaki, I've found your interest in class very disturbing," 'The Mouth' told her.  
  
Hitomi didn't answer.  
  
"You've been drawing the whole period. Then you threw your notes out. Do you realize how important those will be when you want to study for the exam?"  
  
She had never needed to study, usually acing the exams and getting the top score.  
  
"Mr. Tolkien, I'm really not feeling well," she said stiffly.  
  
"I see. In that case, you should go down to the nurse. Perhaps she will have some medicine for your laziness," Mr. Tolkien said, equally stiffly. Hitomi nodded, quiet, and walked out. She thought of Van, of her home on the roof, and sighed, thinking of Van again. Her stomach did something strange. Perhaps I am ill, she mused.  
  
Bet you never felt quite like that  
  
You could say don't complain where I'm at  
  
She walked to the window, looked left and right to make sure no one was coming, then opened it and threw herself out. Halfway to the ground she disappeared and reappeared on the ground, safe. Taking off at a run, she headed to her home. Running was good, and she liked it.  
  
You won't see me cry  
  
Her loneliness was pulled away in that split second, and she felt a sense of absolute joy at the cool breeze slapping her face, at her short hair blowing into her eyes, and at the wonderful freedom that running gave her.  
  
You won't see me die  
  
The rhythmic pumping of her legs and arms quickened and she ran faster, breaking into a sprint. The trees whirled by her moving body. She wanted to go home, but she wanted to run. Running took her mind off of things—things like demons and banishing, things like sadness and the pain of being alone for all eternity. She decided to stop off at the school track and do a few laps; there was no one around to see her, anyway.  
  
The escapade still exits of the task  
  
Of pullin' off a miracle—out of my @$$  
  
Hitomi ran, her footfalls light and quick. She went like wind around the track, once, twice, thrice, over and over. She could never tire of this. But it was time to either return to school or go home, and she chose home. Mr. Tolkien was an idiot, at any rate.  
  
It don't get much better than that  
  
A savvy fox, a loyal dog, a sunny cat  
  
Van was waiting for her on the roof. He understood as she sent him a nervous, slightly apologetic glance.  
  
"School was rough today?"  
  
"Yes. That Tolkien is such a—"  
  
"You don't need to elaborate," Van said pointedly.  
  
"That's true…" Hitomi whispered. She settled down comfortably on the roof. "I was out running again."  
  
"Running?" Van raised an eyebrow, from behind his mask.  
  
"It takes my mind off of things. I feel so…"  
  
"Free," Van finished for her. Practicing his sword skills was pretty much the same thing, though it involved less—well, running. "You should really be on the track team for your school, Hitomi."  
  
"I know, but from what I hear the coach is a total—"  
  
Van interrupted again. "You usually do not believe what you hear, Hitomi."  
  
"Right again…" her eyes smiled faintly. "I usually pass my exams, anyway."  
  
"Oh. So your professor is bothering you about the exams? Hitomi, you passed all of them with flying colors. Why should you be worried?"  
  
"I'm not," Hitomi said. "It's that simple." She sighed, and turned from him.  
  
"Is something wrong, Hitomi?"  
  
"No," she said coldly, "nothing's wrong."  
  
Manning my stations  
  
Taking control of the situation  
  
Say hello to my force field  
  
Force Field ©, Smashmouth  
  
  
  
I know it was short. Chapter four should be up in a few days, maybe even just one day. So check again tomorrow, ya never know. About the song…I just thought it was appropriate. Hitomi is putting a mask on to hide her true feelings, and the force field is hers. She's trying to block everyone out. I don't know if the song is really depressing, because it starts out that way, but in some lines it seems rather cheerful (enter the running part. Besides, you all know that Kanzaki here is a runner!) I wanted that to be in there because some songfics are cool…and I wanted this to be cool. I chose Smashmouth because they're my fav band. (They're also the only band she can name!) sister snickers evilly. (Hey! I heard that! I also like Celine Dion—A New Day has come, or somethin' like it. Touched by an angel in love, that's what one line goes. It's just like Escaflowne, because Hitomi is literally touched by an angel in love—Van!) 


	4. Chapter Four: Van

Hiya everybody! I told ya chapter 4 would be up soon, and see, I was right.  
  
It's going to be short—I'm just typing this, that actual chappie hasn't been typed yet. But I figured if I did a songfic on Hitomi why not do one on Van? Like, it's not a songfic—it might be…but it's about Van Fanel, and his life, and what he thinks about Hitomi (you're probably thinking, whoa, wait, didn't she already do a little in chapter one?) and how much his misses Pierre. By the way, do you think I should chuck Folken in the mix? And Merle? And Allen? And…the rest of the gang? Or should I just keep it like this? I was going to have Nihon be Merle, but then I thought…Merle's too nice (adorable) to be a snob.  
  
Um…it might be short. In fact, I think it will be. (Have I said this already…?)  
  
Disclaimer: Escaflowne is not mine, and neither is Vampire Princess Miyu. *Clutches pendant and screws eyes shut* I wish for Escaflowne to belong to me, I wish—hey, if it worked for Hitomi and the gang it ought to work for me! You can't say no to my screwed logic!  
  
Now, to the Story!  
  
Yaaaah! (OK…strange…)  
  
Chapter Four: Van  
  
I thought love was only true in Faery Tales  
  
Meant for someone else but not for me  
  
Van closed his eyes, conjuring the sword from the air. Recently he had learned to make it move by itself. The technique was tiring for him, so, to improve, he practiced often. In his mind he pictured the enemy—a slavering, feral demon. Perhaps it was about to attack Hitomi—perhaps she called on him to stop it.  
  
Love was out to get me  
  
That's the way it seemed  
  
Disappointment haunted all my dreams  
  
He brought the sword slashing down with a swift flick of his fingers. Van lifted the sword from the air and continued to parry with the invisible demon—thrust, dodge—the works. The image of the demon wavered and was replaced by Hitomi. He remembered her smile. The only smile she'd ever given that was entirely for him. Even then, she only considered him her guardian, and perhaps her friend. Nothing more. But her eyes were beautiful, whether golden or green, and her blackish hair fell perfectly. She was wonderful, so clever, and brave. She could sing. Like Lilith used to…  
  
Then I saw her face—now I'm a believer!  
  
Not a trace of doubt in my mind  
  
Lilith…  
  
I'm in love; I'm a believer!  
  
I couldn't leave her if I tried  
  
He waved his hand and the sword vanished, leaving him with his thoughts. Pierre. And Lilith. They had seemed so fond of each other… He hoped they were together now, wherever they were. He had had to choose between Hitomi and Pierre. Pierre had been his friend since the beginning of time—it was Pierre who had helped him escape from Fanelia, and it had been Pierre who tended him when battles with other Shinma had gone for the worse. But it had been Pierre who was trying to kill Hitomi. He had made the promise to her—he had given his word, and he would keep it. That wasn't his only reason, though…  
  
I though love was more or less a given thing  
  
Seems the more I gave the less I got, oh yeah  
  
You are a weak, pathetic demon, Van though angrily, re-conjuring the sword and slicing the air furiously. You have no soul, and yet you feel for your friends—you feel for Hitomi! Hitomi has given me a soul, Van argued with himself. If it were not for her I would still be in Pierre's clutches, and probably dead. If it had not been for Pierre, the voice nagged at his guilt, you would be dead in your brother's dungeons.  
  
What's the use in tryin'?  
  
All you get is pain  
  
When I needed sunshine I got rain  
  
Van sensed Hitomi coming, and made his sword vanish. She was rather early, he thought. He understood as she sent him a nervous, slightly apologetic glance.  
  
"School was rough today?"  
  
"Yes. That Tolkien is such a—"  
  
"You don't need to elaborate," Van said pointedly.  
  
"That's true…" Hitomi whispered. She settled down comfortably on the roof. "I was out running again."  
  
"Running?" Van raised an eyebrow, from behind his mask.  
  
"It takes my mind off of things. I feel so…"  
  
"Free," Van finished for her. Practicing his sword skills was pretty much the same thing, though it involved less—well, running. "You should really be on the track team for your school, Hitomi."  
  
"I know, but from what I hear the coach is a total—"  
  
Van interrupted again. "You usually do not believe what you hear, Hitomi."  
  
"Right again…" her eyes smiled faintly, and his heart began to do cartwheels, despite himself. "I usually pass my exams, anyway."  
  
"Oh. So your professor is bothering you about the exams? Hitomi, you passed all of them with flying colors. Why should you be worried?" Damn that professor if he gave her trouble…  
  
"I'm not," Hitomi said. "It's that simple." She sighed, and turned from him.  
  
"Is something wrong, Hitomi?"  
  
"No," she said coldly, "nothing's wrong."  
  
Van looked at her face, and smiled slightly.  
  
Then I saw her face—now I'm a believer!  
  
Not a trace of doubt in my mind  
  
Pierre had been his friend, yes, but now that was over, and this was now. Hitomi was here, and perhaps, if he tried, it could be the start of something. Maybe…it would.  
  
I'm in love; I'm a believer!  
  
I couldn't leave her if I tried…  
  
Yes. He wasn't able to tear himself away. Pierre was his friend, and would always be. Hitomi…while Hitomi still existed, he would not even attempt to leave her. He asked her gently if he could leave to continue his training. She seemed about to say yes, then said,  
  
"No…don't go, Van. Look—it's a beautiful sunset."  
  
Van looked—it was. He stood there silently, behind her, enjoying every moment.  
  
I'm in love; I'm a believer!  
  
I'm a believer…  
  
I'm a Believer ©, Smashmouth, or, The Monkeys (your choice—they both sang it)  
  
So, how'd ya like it? Huh? Huh?  
  
Okay…I'll get on with the actual story—don't kill me with flames!  
  
Okay?  
  
Okay!  
  
Hey, Endless Rain, do you know what the last episode of Vampire Princess Miyu is—or is it an ongoing series, y'know? Please R&R, I'm dying for reviews, lol  
  
By the way, what does 'lol' mean? You use it a lot!  
  
Bye for now. 


	5. A Past Best Forgotten

~ DRAGONSUN ~  
  
It is I, the magnificent, glorious, flame beast of the skies! (I already used this line…I know…) DragonSun here! How are you doing? How's life treating you? It's rainy here, rainy and warm, and I hate it. I like sunshine. Lots of spring sunshine. Ahhh…..Endless Rain, please, tell me where you found the spoilers because if I want to keep writing this, I have to know what else Miyu goes up against! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you made my day! Now, to the story!  
  
Chapter Five: A Past Best Forgotten  
  
Oh, oh, wait, let me interrupt! I really need some suggestions for this other story I've got…I don't know where to go from there. The Last Generation. It's got 2 chapters, but I dunno what to do for chapter 3, other than reveal Hitomi's past more. Where should they go? Should Allen and the group go with them? Etc. Helpful advice…would be appreciated GREATLY.  
  
Now, Chapter Five: A Past Best Forgotten  
  
"Fanelia is burning!" Van cried, his eyes wide and horrified. Pierre urged him on from behind, shouting, over the noise of the screams and the crackle of the fires, "Keep moving, Van, unless you want to die today!"  
  
"I can't!" Van yelled, turning to face his friend, "this is my country—my people!"  
  
"You will move!" Pierre roared. "Van, if you escape your people know their King is at least still alive!"  
  
"But—"  
  
"Now move!" Pierre shoved Van along.  
  
"It's cowardice to flee!" Van said. "I have to return, I need to fight!"  
  
"Fool!" Pierre bellowed, "get yourself killed fighting, then what sort of future does Fanelia have? As long as they have a people, and a King, Fanelia has a future!"  
  
Van's eyes blazed, but he allowed Pierre's mount to shove his horse along. There was a huge creak, and the gates of the city crashed down, blocking their path. Soldiers wearing a strange blazon appeared, carrying spears. They were surrounded.  
  
"We want the King. Hand him over and you may go free," the leader said.  
  
"Never!" Pierre cried, and his horse reared, cracking the skulls of two as it came down. Van's sword was out in a flash, and he sliced and slashed. The men simply closed in, making it impossible for the two escapees to fight at a close range. The horses shied, and Van fell from his mount. "Van!" Pierre shouted. The soldiers were attempting to unhorse him as well, so he threw himself off and ran. Away. Leaving Van stranded there, surrounded by soldiers.  
  
The next hours were a blur to Van; he dimly remembered being chained, and then beaten, kicked unceremoniously into a dank, stinking cell. Now the man came.  
  
Van glanced up with pain-filled, half-awake eyes.  
  
"Folken!?"  
  
"Van."  
  
"What the hell—" then everything clicked, and Van gasped. "Traitor!" he snarled. "You've destroyed your own kingdom!"  
  
"I have destroyed your kingdom, not mine. It would have been mine, but I failed to slay the dragon and I had to flee. Now I have returned, Van, my brother, with the Zaibach. Fanelia is no more."  
  
The words were like knives, thrusting themselves into Van's body.  
  
"No!" Van yelled. He tried to rise, then fell back, weighted by the chains. "Folken, you'll pay for this! I swear! I will raise an army and return to destroy you!"  
  
Folken laughed, prodding Van through the bars and watching as he seized up in pain. "Weakling, you're in no state whatsoever to even attempt to destroy me. You were always a weak demon."  
  
"Demon…" Van whispered, as if the shock had made him lose his voice.  
  
*Flash*  
  
"Lord Van, don't do it! It's too dangerous!"  
  
"You were the one who wanted me to do this in the first place, Merle!" Van yelled back. "Just watch me!"  
  
They were standing on the roof of the palace. Van took a deep breath, and cracked his wings from his back. The villagers gasped.  
  
Van threw himself from the roof and flew, laughing as he felt the wind rushing by. But he was young, and his wings were not strong enough yet. The right wing snapped to an odd angle and he plummeted with a cry. Queen Varie saw him fall.  
  
"Van!" she cried urgently, and her own wings, broad, white and beautiful, emerged. She flew up into the sky and caught her son, ignoring the gasps and shouts from the villagers below.  
  
"Van, you must never show your wings, until the right time comes. Promise me this, Van. Don't make your mother sad."  
  
"M-Mother? I'm sorry, mother…" Van wept on her shoulder.  
  
*Flash*  
  
"I'm no demon!" Van yelled.  
  
"Oh? And what are you, little brother? An Angel?" Folken laughed.  
  
"I…" Van was silent.  
  
"See, you yourself don't know! Halfing!"  
  
Van banged against the bars. "No, Folken! No!"  
  
"Van! Van?" someone was calling him, from a great distance away. He opened his eyes slowly.  
  
"What—?"  
  
"Van, are you all right? You were yelling," Hitomi said. She sounded genuinely concerned. Van shook his head, then gasped. His mask had fallen off, and his face was revealed for Hitomi to see. He bent his head.  
  
"Where's my mask, Hitomi?" Van asked, running his hands over the ground, looking for it.  
  
"Here," she lifted it and handed it to him. As he straightened, she gasped. She had never seen Van's face before (A/N: Just disregard chapter two)  
  
Raven hair fell over a face that was rather young, he looked her age. She had always thought him to be much older, as his actions declared. His eyes, confused, were deep gray—serious and sad. He noticed she was staring, and hastily replaced the mask over his face. Hitomi did something strange then—she flushed and looked away.  
  
"Van…who were you dreaming about?"  
  
Van looked away. "My brother," he spat out finally.  
  
"You have a brother?"  
  
"I did. The man who destroyed my kingdom was not my brother, he was a beast! The brother I knew does not exist anymore."  
  
"You were denying your demon blood," Hitomi said softly.  
  
Van sighed. "I am a halfling."  
  
Hitomi gasped again. "But—"  
  
"My father was a full-blooded demon, but my mother was not."  
  
"How?"  
  
"She was a Draconian. Both demons and Draconians were despised by my people, so Father kept it a secret."  
  
"Draconians…"  
  
Draconians. The Winged People. Those of a cursed descent. Van was a halfling.  
  
"They finally found out," Van said softly. It had been his fault—after the incident on the roof the rumors had flown. "Folken was my older brother. He left to slay the dragon, as part of the rite to become King. Even with his demon powers, he failed. I thought he had died, I thought he never turned his back on the dragon fought it to the very end…"  
  
Van paused, and gave a bitter laugh. "I was wrong."  
  
"Then it was my turn. I attacked the dragon with anger, because I thought it had killed the brother I knew. I won, and was proclaimed King. The people were mistrustful, they knew my heritage. At any rate, during the coronation ceremony, Folken returned and destroyed Fanelia. Pierre and I tried to escape. Pierre made it; I was dragged from my horse and taken to the dungeons. That night, Pierre returned for me, and we left aboard his ship, Light of the Sea. We sailed for some time, but I vowed that I would raise an army to avenge my people, so I came to Japan, hoping to conquer it."  
  
"Does Fanelia still exist?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Your brother?"  
  
"He's still there."  
  
"Oh, Van…"  
  
Van took her hand. "Mine is a past best forgotten," he said softly.  
  
Hitomi looked up at him, and nodded. "If you want. But this time, if you're going to leave, I am going with you, no matter what you say."  
  
"I'd like that," Van said, and smiled from behind his mask.  
  
The moon beamed on them, casting its silvery light over the roof.  
  
****************  
  
  
  
"Van, why do you wear a mask?" Hitomi whispered. It was a sunny afternoon, and for once, Hitomi was not spending it alone. She was sprawled out by a stream, enjoying the sunlight, while Van sat beneath the shade of a tree, watching her.  
  
"It is a symbol of my bondage," Van said.  
  
"Doesn't it bother you?"  
  
"I'm used to it, by now."  
  
"Take it off, please," Hitomi said softly. Van's hand was halfway up to his mask when he stopped.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'd like to see your face," she murmured.  
  
Van took his mask off, well aware that his face was red. Hitomi glanced at him, shyly, and blushed, too, for no apparent reason. Van stood, and walked over to her, sitting down beside her.  
  
"Hitomi, do you have any friends?" (A/N: Well how blunt was that!)  
  
"The humans consider themselves my friends, yes. Yukari, Myoshi, Arik, Kenji, Toroshino, and Amano."  
  
"No others?" Van's heart sunk horribly.  
  
"If you don't mind, I would consider you my friend as well, Van Fanel," Hitomi said, closing her eyes and feeling the sunlight on her face.  
  
Van smiled. He snaked his hand towards hers, and she met it halfway with her own. They sat there together—Hitomi dangling her feet in the water, and Van sitting quietly beside her. Not a word was said between the two, there was only a mutual feeling of contentment.  
  
The moment would not last.  
  
Hitomi's human friends, Yukari and Kenji, followed now by Myoshi, came running. Van snatched his mask from the ground and scrambled into the shadows of a tree before vanishing. Hitomi sighed.  
  
"Hello," she said to the three girls.  
  
"Hitomi, did we just see you with a young man?" Myoshi teased. Hitomi found herself flushing. Van, who was watching (A/N: Don't ask me how!), and he found the crimson on her cheeks very becoming.  
  
"No…there was no one here," Hitomi said quietly.  
  
"Hitomi, did you hear? It's terrible!"  
  
"What happened?" Hitomi demanded.  
  
"You know that field trip we were going to have to the springs?"  
  
"Yes…?"  
  
"Well, the people in that city—they've been vanishing! It's very strange; one day they're there, the next, they've gone, and all the people can find are their belongings, like a shoe, or a purse!"  
  
"The police are on it," Kenji added.  
  
"Snakes—an abnormal amount of snakes are migrating to that area," Yukari said. She shuddered. "Snakes! I hate them, ugh!"  
  
Hitomi's eyes flashed green, thought none of the humans saw it. 'A Demon's shadow is attracting the snakes…' she thought.  
  
"Are we still going there?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, but I'm worried now," Myoshi said.  
  
"So am I," Hitomi said out loud. 'But for different reasons,' she thought.  
  
**************  
  
"I'll be there, all you have to do is call for me," Van promised.  
  
"Thank you, Van."  
  
"Be careful," Van said.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Hitomi said, and she smiled! It was beautiful, her eyes smiled, and Van gulped. 'She's smiled! For me!'  
  
"I'll see you there, Hitomi," Van said, his voice low. He smiled, too, but she couldn't see it, from under his mask.  
  
Hitomi vanished to catch the bus, wondering why her heart was pounding like she'd just run a race.  
  
  
  
Yes! They're falling for each other! Woohoo! *Laugh, laugh, laugh!* So now there's a demon in the area—but where? I must leave now, because it's time for breakfast (9:23 AM, Eastern Time) and I'm starved—I've been typing since 7:00 this morning. Let's recap, now, shall we?  
  
Hitomi/ Van is starting…Demon who can control snakes is wreaking havoc in a nearby village…that's basically it. What will happen on the next chapter?  
  
I HAVE NO IDEA!  
  
But, oh well, ho hum. See you next chapter—chapter 6!  
  
An Important question: Should I put some major V/H action in the next chapter?  
  
a) Yes  
  
b) No  
  
Yoda  
  
TELL ME PLEASE, I'LL SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER! HAVE A GOOD DAY! 


	6. The Broken Seal

I, who sail the skies  
  
I, who can eat the moon  
  
I, who am all that is  
  
I, who flies beneath the DragonSun  
  
Nice poem, no? My friend came up with it. She's really good at that kind of thing. I just put it up because I had no other reason… Um…okay this chapter is either going to be really long or short…I have nothing to say today, other than it's HOT over here and the AC isn't on! Most of you voted choice a), yes, for my Important question, but I feel that V/H aren't quite ready yet… Don't kill me. Maybe in chapters 7 or 8…  
  
Okay, here goes…  
  
Chapter Six: The Broken Seal  
  
Wait, wait, wait! I'm interrupting again… Okay, you can continue now.  
  
Chapter Six: The Broken Seal  
  
The bus ride to Otakuna Hot Springs was fairly peaceful. Hitomi was engrossed in a book that Myoshi had lent her—Trials of the Mage, by a certain Lee Sunibe. (A/N: This isn't a real book, it's actually a document that I'm working on right now. The name of the author—well, I just made it up.) It told of a young mage, or one who practiced magic, in a time when magic was forbidden. Kenji was talking animatedly to Yukari, who was, in turn, half listening to Toroshino's constant chatter about America.  
  
"When are we going to be there?" Arik demanded, practically bouncing with impatience.  
  
"Soon," Amano replied. The conversation had been the same for the past hour. Hitomi put the book aside for a moment and stared out the window at the swamp they were passing. She closed her eyes briefly and summoned up an image of Van.  
  
:Hitomi? You called?: Van's voice entered her head.  
  
:Yes. I can't sense anything yet—: Hitomi broke off abruptly. She looked back out the window of the bus and saw a long form slithering away. 'A demon?'  
  
:Hitomi? Hitomi, are you there?: Van asked.  
  
:Sorry…I do sense something now—it's ancient. It reeks of evil, and yet, it seems to be locked securely enough away…:  
  
:Interesting…: Van said. He sounded puzzled. :Do you want me to come?:  
  
'Yes…please do…' Hitomi thought to herself, but she replied, :I think I can handle this situation myself.:  
  
:We'll speak later, then,: Van sent, and vanished from her mind.  
  
*******************  
  
"Well, we're off to see the sights!" Yukari said brightly. "Hitomi, are you coming?"  
  
"Yes," Hitomi replied. She got up, setting down Myoshi's book, and followed them.  
  
"My, it's rainy!" Myoshi said, unfurling her umbrella. The other girls followed suit. "Back in Tokyo it was never this wet!"  
  
"Never," Kenji agreed.  
  
"I wonder where the boys are," Yukari said.  
  
"Here!" Arik and Toroshino came up. Amano followed, slightly behind them, his hands in his pockets.  
  
Hitomi trailed after them, her senses alert for the demon. She soon wandered away.  
  
******************  
  
A woman's scream cut through the misty air. Hitomi heard it and ran in that direction, a flame ready in her hand.  
  
She saw.  
  
A woman was backed up against a wall, babbling in hysterical fear as a mass of wriggling snakes advanced on her. Hitomi would have intervened, but she was curious, and she watched. The snakes slithered further, and the woman pressed herself up further against the wall. They (the snakes) enveloped her, and her screams stopped. Hitomi decided now was the time to act, and she threw the flame.  
  
The snakes were burnt to ashes, but all that remained of the woman was one stylish, black, high-heeled shoe.  
  
"They were not demons," Hitomi said softly. She stood by the shoe, and knelt slowly to touch it. "I am sorry I did not intervene. Your death might have been prevented."  
  
So the snakes had been eating the people of the town. Hitomi nodded. "I understand the circumstances now."  
  
But there was a part of the puzzle still missing.  
  
What shinma had been controlling the snakes, and where did it roost?  
  
***************  
  
Van battled with himself. "She might need me," he said aloud. "But she said she didn't need my help."  
  
'Why not just go?'  
  
"I cannot."  
  
*****************  
  
  
  
"Hey, where did Hitomi go?" Kenji paused.  
  
"We've lost her!" Yukari said.  
  
"That's obvious enough!" Myoshi nodded. "So, what are we going to do?"  
  
"Keep walking," Arik said. "'Tomi probably went back to the inn."  
  
"Yes…this town is boring."  
  
"Drab and gray."  
  
******************  
  
Hitomi had not gone back to the inn. In fact, she was still walking around the town, probing her mind, sensing but not finding. It was frustrating.  
  
'It's well hidden,' she remarked mentally. She walked onward. Suddenly the landscape shifted—from the wet, muddy roads of the inn to a lush, dark swamp.  
  
Hitomi paused in confusion, but her confusion did not last. "So, Shinma. You live here?"  
  
She continued to walk. Soon she came to a shrine, hidden deep within the dank swamp. It was made of old wood, and the stench of rot reached her nose. A shining mirror, strange in darkness such as this, sat in the center of the shrine. Hitomi stepped forward, toward the shrine. She noticed a vast lake of some sort in front of the building. It shimmered.  
  
*****************  
  
"I'm getting kind of worried," Yukari said. "Hitomi wasn't at the inn, and now it's getting late. What if she's vanished, too?"  
  
"Hah! Little chance of that," Toroshino said. "Hitomi can kick ass, if she wanted to. She's perfectly safe."  
  
****************  
  
Hitomi stumbled over a stone. She fell, but not because of the small rock jutting from the soil, but because someone or something bowled her over. Hitomi raised her hand, flame lit, ready to see the shinma, ready to destroy it.  
  
It was a little boy. He smiled, joyously. "You've come! You've finally returned. I've kept my promise to you—I have, I have!" Hitomi looked him over. He was young, perhaps five or six years of age, with a mop of unkept brown hair—piercing blue eyes. He seemed healthy enough. But when he saw who she was, his face fell. "Oh. You aren't—you…oh…"  
  
"Who are you?" Hitomi asked.  
  
"I—I can't tell you. I promised her."  
  
Hitomi wondered who 'she' was. "I'm Hitomi," she said, probing the boy's aura with her own. He was no shinma.  
  
"Oh…I guess you'll be leaving now, right? Please don't go! I'm lonely here! Play with me?"  
  
"All right. What shall we play?" Hitomi knelt down, so she could see him. He was dressed in modern clothing, though she sensed he was old—very, very old indeed. "How long have you been here?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know. It's been so long."  
  
"Oh. I see…" Apparently the boy's promise had bound him there, keeping him alive, and young, until the mystery girl returned.  
  
"How about tag?" the boy said eagerly. He slapped her arm with his chubby fingers. "Tag—you're It!"  
  
Hitomi nodded and gave in pursuit, going purposely slow so as not to catch him as quickly. When she got close enough to grab him, he dodged her arms and kept running. They ran about the grassy expanse of the swamp, Hitomi, silent as usual, the boy laughing and yelling. The sun was beginning to set as they finally stopped. "I must go now," Hitomi said.  
  
"Oh no—please don't go—" the boy began, but Hitomi sensed an attack coming her way. She grabbed the boy and leapt aside. Ice needles rained down upon the spot where they had been standing a moment before.  
  
"Nihon!" Hitomi snarled. "Nihon, he is innocent! Stop this foolishness!"  
  
"Oh? And are you so sure?" Nihon asked, and sent more vicious needles their way. Hitomi crouched protectively over the boy as she vaulted to another place—directly above the shrine. Nihon aimed.  
  
The boy squirmed in Hitomi's arms. "No! Please don't destroy the temple! I promised her! I promised!" he pleaded hoarsely. Nihon sent the needles, smiling ruthlessly as Hitomi was forced to jump again. "No!" the boy cried, as the temple was demolished—the ice shattered the mirror. Shards off glass fell to the ground.  
  
"NO!" the boy screamed. "I promised her!" he ran to the shrine, unprotected, and fell to his knees, weeping. "I'm sorry—I'm sorry—"  
  
A new noise interrupted.  
  
The lake was splitting.  
  
Like a smaller version of Moses and the Red Sea, the lake divided down the middle, and rising out of the water was—  
  
Hitomi's eyes flashed green. Demon!  
  
What emerged from the lake bottom was a serpent, uncoiling majestically to its full height. Instead of a head a humanish body was situated, black, snake-locks of hair and evil, slanted red eyes, nostrils like a reptiles. It wore a kimono—but most interesting about it was the seal-like cloth that wrapped around it's waist. The seal. Now Hitomi understood—this shinma had been sealed by the power of the shrine, by some previous Guardian before her. It was the Guardian the boy was waiting for, and now that the seal had been broken, the shinma was released.  
  
"Nihon, you fool!" she yelled. Nihon smirked and vanished.  
  
Hitomi readied the flame in her hand and flung it, without much care or aim, and, to her dismay, the Shinma blocked it easily with its long, thick tail. Hitomi shoved the boy out of the way of the snake tail, but she received the blow herself. She was thrown forcibly into the wreckage of the shrine. Hitomi gasped as her back came in contact with the splinters. It healed instantly, but she felt the pain.  
  
*********************  
  
Van felt the pain as well. "She needs me," he said simply, and vanished.  
  
********************  
  
She rose painfully, only to be confronted by the tail of the snake. It wrapped about her, tightening mercilessly. Hitomi had never expected mercy from a shinma, so this came as no surprise. As the coils grew tighter, though, she felt the air being squeezed from her lungs, and the muscled tail began to crush her. She whimpered, the edges of her vision already beginning to go black. Her hands were pinned to her sides, and she was unable to raise flames.  
  
Her line of sight totally vanished, along with her breath and she couldn't draw breath—her lungs were flattened…dimly she could hear the boy shouting, dimly she could hear the cackle of the snake-shinma, and all of the noise, the sound, the scene, was melting rapidly into a whirling pit of gray…then to black…  
  
Then the tail was severed in a fluid motion from Van's sword.  
  
Hitomi fell to the ground on all fours, gasping for breath, trying to fill her lungs again. She did not need to give another command; Van attacked the shinma with the ferocity borne of anger, slashing and parrying with the fangs, skillfully as ever. As Hitomi felt her breathing returning to normal, she summoned her flames and shot. The flames caught on the seal, and soon the whole snake demon was burning. It disintegrated with a scream, and a haze of greenish ashes—the temple followed suit. Van slowly helped her rise, touching her shoulder. Hitomi was too tired to jump, or she would have at his gentle touch.  
  
She looked at him gratefully and nodded. "I'm fine," she whispered.  
  
"I felt your pain," Van murmured. "So I came."  
  
The boy watched them with his piercing blue eyes.  
  
"Little boy," Hitomi said softly, "do you want to return home?"  
  
"No. I must stay here. I promised her that I would guard the swamp until she returned. I will keep my promise," he said. Hitomi looked deep into his eyes, and she felt he would keep true his promise.  
  
"Good bye, then," she said, and touched his arm.  
  
"I'll remember you," the boy smiled. He turned and walked straight into the waters of the lake. Van started, beginning to go after him, but Hitomi stalled him.  
  
"He is safe there."  
  
Van nodded, falling back.  
  
"I should be going back now," Hitomi said.  
  
"Will you allow me to accompany you, Hitomi?" Van asked.  
  
Hitomi hesitated. "Yes," she said finally. "Yes, I'd like it."  
  
He offered her his arm, as he had once to a princess, countless years ago, in Fanelia. The memory stung, but this was new, and he was walking with Hitomi. They stepped back through the gate and into the town. Hitomi turned to Van.  
  
"Thank you for saving my life," she said gravely. Van nodded. He didn't move as she reached up and pulled the mask from his face. She closed her eyes, remembering his promise to her. Van touched her cheek tentatively, then, as she didn't object, ran a long finger down the side of her neck, and bent his head a bit closer. He wasn't sure if she would take it well if he kissed her lips, though. Just as he was about to kiss her cheek, he heard her friends coming, and he took his mask from her hands and vanished, with a smile on his face.  
  
Hitomi turned to Myoshi, who was slightly ahead of Yukari and Kenji.  
  
"There was a young man!" Myoshi insisted. "With a black cloak, and he was about to—"  
  
"No one was there," Hitomi said wearily, though she longed to know what Van had been about to do.  
  
"We didn't see anyone," Kenji said, while Yukari shook her head.  
  
"Nope, we didn't. Hitomi, you gave us a scare! You were gone for the whole day!"  
  
"I was busy…" Hitomi said.  
  
"Oh? Doing what?"  
  
"Fighting," Hitomi whispered.  
  
"Fighting?"  
  
"Against the temptation to buy anything," Hitomi corrected hastily.  
  
"Oh, I see," Myoshi grinned. "Well, come on! They're serving dinner already at the inn—you'll miss it if we don't hurry!"  
  
******************  
  
:Goodnight, Van,: Hitomi sent. She had examined her ribs to make sure no permanent damage had been done. There were only bruises, and even those were beginning to fade. Now she was lying on a bed, reading Trials of the Mage. Her human friends were in separate beds, all sound asleep.  
  
:'Night, Hitomi,: Van replied quietly. Hitomi could see him in her mind's eye, standing silently on their roof, staring at the moon. She looked out her own window and saw the moon, and it gave her some comfort that, for one, Van was looking at the same moon, and that she would be seeing him again in a few days.  
  
Hitomi put the book aside and fell asleep as her head hit the pillow—and her last thought was of Van…  
  
Hey…they were getting really close to some action there. You can't blame me for not rushing them. This has to come GRADUALLY. See, she's falling for him anyway!  
  
For the next chapter, vote on the second Very Important question.  
  
a) Hitomi focuses mainly on her life as a Guardian, while yet another demon emerges  
  
b) V/H, mostly, accompanied by a cat-loving garden shinma who steals the souls of the cats and imprisons them in the flowers…  
  
Another songfic, topic vague  
  
Mr. Mahmood comes in to talk about the Chewbacca and Yoda (Mahmood's my science teacher…by the way)  
  
Well, take your pick!  
  
See you next chappie! 


	7. The Garden of the Crying Reeds

Hello—you know what I just realized? I FORGOT the disclaimer! In all of my stories, I've forgotten the disclaimers! So I'm saying this for every story right now: I don't own Escaflowne, and for this story, I don't own Vampire Princess Miyu, either! I'm writing this now; I don't really know what you voted. Most of you voted, b), V/H, mostly, accompanied by a cat- loving garden shinma. However, I feel that a) and b) can be combined, so I combined them. Songfics get boring after a while…and Yoda is TOTALLY UNRELATED, I just put it there for laughs, etc. So. I will continue now. It's as hot as hell here. 86 degrees, but it's HUMID. VERY humid. Screaming will only increase the temperature, so I will scream, but very, very softly. ahhhhhhhhh…  
  
There we go. Um, what's a POV?  
  
Now, chapter seven!  
  
This chapter includes a brief POV from both Van and Hitomi's points of view (did that sound right, or was my grammar screwed?)  
  
Chapter Seven: Garden of Crying Reeds  
  
Hitomi's POV: The Stars are Forever  
  
Van's POV: Fanelia  
  
PS: I will be repeating a lot of words in most of these POV's.  
  
Hitomi's POV  
  
I'm alone right now, under the stars. They tease me with their sparkling, their constant twinkle, the bright energy that powers the cosmos. I sit with my long legs folded up beneath me, hugging my knees to my chest and resting my chin on them. The stars are blended perfectly with the velvet of the night sky, seeming so clear, so beautiful, but I knew a time when there were more stars visible.  
  
That was a long time ago.  
  
Now the air has changed, along with the atmosphere, causing a blanket to dull out the shine of the moon, of the stars. They still gleam, still tease, still soothe me with their brightness, their silvery warmth, melding with the light of the moon.  
  
The moon…  
  
It, too, is shadowed with the pollution that humans have brought upon themselves. But it is still wonderful, a perfect orb of white, mystical and magical, slightly hidden by thin, gray clouds that drift lazily across the night sky. It hangs huge, pinned to the velvet of the sky, made of silver silk, glowing, luminous orb…. I love to sit here, atop my roof, feeling the cool night breeze flying through my clothes and hair, watching the moon. Van watches often, with me. Van…he is another matter altogether.  
  
I feel strange when I think of him, or when he is near me.  
  
I had never seen his face before, not until his mask fell off, not until I handed it to him—when our fingers met, it was…strange…electrifying…  
  
Van is mysterious. His past is shadowed, dark and shadowed. He never speaks of his beloved Fanelia, his kingdom from a time before. Nor does he speak of his brother. He knows that Fanelia no longer exists, but his brother's spirit lives on, tainting the land where the kingdom used to be. His brother will always be there, in the darkness of his mind, dark, oppressing—evil. Van is a halfling, too. Like me. But I am halfling because my parents were one demon, one human. Van was demon, and also Draconian. We both have strange pasts, my Dark servant and I.  
  
Slave. No.  
  
More like a servant, with freedoms.  
  
No. Van is my friend.  
  
We have been thrown together in this strange game of fate, Van Fanel and I. Master and servant, friend and friend…perhaps, it could be something more…  
  
I throw these thoughts away quickly. Van knows I am bound to eternal solitude, and I know as well. Still, it is strange, the electric shock that passed through my body when our fingers touched—when he touched my shoulder. His touch was so gentle—so tender…so caring….I clear my mind of any thoughts, gazing contentedly at the moon. Contentedly is hardly the word to use, and I know it. The stars will always be there to comfort me.  
  
Van will be there to comfort me.  
  
And I will exist, to be comforted.  
  
We are all forever….The stars are forever.  
  
  
  
And now, to Van's POV: Fanelia. Oh, Sereneblaze, I dunno if you'd consider this V/H fluff, but…I wrote it for you, since you said you liked that stuff.  
  
Van's POV: Fanelia  
  
Fanelia. The word means so much to me. I know it's gone. It has been gone for the past century. On this world. It never existed in this world. Fanelia is still there, on Gaea, in my own dimension, in Shadows—a bright land in the darkness of Shadows. Fanelia. My country—my people, who I failed in my duty to protect. I failed. I wonder if they still blame me, sometimes. It was my fault. I was a coward, and I ran. And Folken. The bastard. If he's alive, I hope his life is like a living hell. One day I will return to claim what is rightfully mine, and kill him myself.  
  
One day.  
  
Sounds like a promise I'll never keep.  
  
I am bound by my word, my honor, to stay with Hitomi.  
  
I am also bound by my love.  
  
Love—such a weakness. Strong emotions like hate and love, they all are weaknesses.  
  
They can be used against you.  
  
A truly strong demon would never have such emotions, never have anyone close to their hearts, for if their enemies found out, they could use these emotions, and tear your heart to pieces. I loved Fanelia, and it was destroyed. I loved Folken as a brother, and the brother I knew was taken away. I loved Gaea, I loved my life aboard Pierre's ship. All was taken away.  
  
I am afraid to love anything else, for fear that it, too, will be taken away.  
  
So I guess I am weak.  
  
But I'm not a demon.  
  
I'm a halfling, like her.  
  
That's another thing we have in common. I know nothing of her past; she is only just discovering mine.  
  
Hitomi has such a beautiful voice. It's pure, soft, yet it changes. When she jokes, there's a laugh in her voice—then, her voice gets husky, sometimes. My own voice…I am used to the sound of my own voice. I don't know how it sounds. Compared to her graceful beauty, I am an ogre—an oaf, a clumsy, inept fool.  
  
I am a weakling. Hitomi will never be weak. She is strong. I admire her greatly. But I wonder if it is all a shell, like the one I put up.  
  
My emotions are hidden away. Are hers hidden as well?  
  
I do wonder sometimes.  
  
If she'd only let her barrier down sometimes, and let me get to know her… If she'd feel the same way about me. Eternal life wouldn't seem so bad, not if Hitomi cared about me.  
  
Somehow, I think she does care. I can hope, can't I?  
  
I am a weakling—afraid to love. But now I have some proof against my cowardice.  
  
I love her.  
  
It's such a relief to admit it.  
  
I love her. I love Hitomi.  
  
If only she knew.  
  
I love her…  
  
  
  
Isn't that sweet? *Sighs, and clasps hands, goes all dreamy-eyed* Okay, back to reality. *Sits upright and tenses* Now, to the actual story? Yes? Good! Oh, oh, oh! I just realized what POV is! Point Of View! Ahah! I've got it!  
  
Chapter Seven: Garden of the Crying Reeds  
  
It starts now!  
  
"Hitomi."  
  
Hitomi turned to look at Van. He had materialized out of thin air and now stood behind her. He wore his sword tied at his waist, underneath the cloak. Hitomi could see the shape of the weapon. In his hand he held something strange.  
  
"Van…?"  
  
Van took her hand slowly, put something into her palm, then closed her hand.  
  
"This is an amulet, to protect you against further demon attacks."  
  
Hitomi opened her hand again and stared at the object. It was a translucent red stone, hanging on a simple silken cord. The stone caught the moonlight and tossed it about, casting patterns of shadow and light on her face. (A/N: Think Hitomi's pendant…the one she gives to Van, eventually.) "Wear it, Hitomi. Please."  
  
Hitomi nodded, slowly placing the pendant over her head. Van surveyed her and smiled, the gesture hidden by his mask, as usual. He made a daring move, then, and summoned up another object.  
  
Hitomi gasped.  
  
Van pressed a white rose in her hand. She looked at it, then stared up at him, wondering.  
  
"Swords aren't the only things I can conjure from air," Van said, and lifted his mask so she could see his smile. He vanished.  
  
Hitomi gazed at the rose she grasped between her fingers. It was perfect in detail, and its radiance rivaled that of the moon. No roses like this grew in Japan, or the world. But they might have in Van's dimension. In Fanelia.  
  
Hitomi fingered one of the cream white petals, feeling the velvet beneath her fingers.  
  
"Thank you, Van…"  
  
******************  
  
Van stared at his hands. What had he done?  
  
"Idiot!" he berated himself. I may have been lying low, lately, but Folken is  
  
bound to notice my magic—especially if I've gotten stronger…If I can sense his presence, he must be able to sense mine!  
  
"If it's for Hitomi," he muttered, "then it's worth it."  
  
*****************  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
"Ejuen! Ejuen!" a young man ran through the streets. He looked to be just over college age, and he apparently had just come from work, judging by the briefcase he carried.  
  
He stopped by a telephone pole, and stared sadly at the missing poster. It had an image of a small, white cat with a single black patch over its left ear. It's eyes were pale green. The poster read,  
  
LOST. Please return to 793, Cyan Rd., reward offered.  
  
He had posted that a week ago. Now it was a week later, and no one had reported seeing Ejuen.  
  
His beloved cat was probably dead.  
  
The man ran a few streets more, still shouting his cat's name. He came to a halt in front of a magnificent mansion, rising into the sunset.  
  
That's strange, he thought, I don't remember seeing that last night…  
  
He heard a tinkling noise, and his mind shouted, That's Ejuen's bell! I know it is!  
  
The man dashed through the gates of the mansion. The courtyard was deserted, and he wandered around, yelling, "Ejuen!"  
  
The bell chimed again.  
  
"Ejuen, I'm coming!"  
  
He skidded to a halt under the full moonlight, staring in awe at the scene before him. A young woman, possibly his age, stood under the moon. She held a red rose in her hands, cooing softly to it. She was garbed in a long, eighteenth century style gown, her flowing, silvery gold hair shimmering in waves down her back. She turned.  
  
"Hello," her voice was light and beautiful.  
  
"Excuse me—but have you seen a white cat lately? Black patch of fur over its left ear," the man said.  
  
"No, I'm sorry. Are you looking for your cat?"  
  
"Yes. She's been gone for over a week now—I'm really worried…"  
  
"I love cats. I hope to have one of my own, soon," she replied, in her strangely bell-like voice.  
  
"Oh—I have to leave now, I guess. I'm sorry I interrupted—"  
  
"Oh, don't go. It's lonely here. Stay a while, no?"  
  
He was about to refuse, but came to a stuttering halt as her elegant purple eyes fixed themselves onto his own.  
  
"O-Okay…"  
  
She smiled charmingly at him, and he walked alongside her as she showed him her garden of roses.  
  
As he turned away, one flower, a white one with one black petal and a pale green center turned toward his back and gave a bell-like, tinkling noise.  
  
*********************  
  
"Van," Hitomi said softly, turning to him.  
  
Van looked at her. "Yes?"  
  
"Why did you give me the rose?"  
  
Van flushed beneath his mask. "I—I…thought you might like it…"  
  
To his absolute surprise, she smiled. "I did."  
  
"It was a Fanelian rose," Van recovered quickly from his shock. "From my mother's garden. She loved them very much."  
  
"But—Folken—"  
  
"He'll get quite a surprise if he tries to attack you," Van grinned.  
  
"What if he goes for you?" Hitomi asked, beginning to worry.  
  
"I can handle him," Van said, and proved his point by conjuring his sword. Hitomi nodded, lighting a flame in her hand and extinguishing it.  
  
"Good. I would…miss you…"  
  
She would miss me! Van's heart sang. He shook his head.  
  
"Van?"  
  
"I'm fine," Van mumbled. "I—have to go now. Call me, if you need me." He stumbled backward, away from her, caught himself before he fell, and vanished, his eyes still locked on hers as he did. Hitomi blushed, touching the pendant he had given her.  
  
****************  
  
Kenji was back in school with Lim. The little kitten had grown, but it still was small. Its mouth opened in near-silent mews.  
  
"Why…?" Yukari asked.  
  
"Mother found out. I have to get rid of it—do you know anyone?" Kenji said.  
  
"No…" Hitomi murmured.  
  
"Hey—wait, there's this guy down the street who loves cats. He might take it," Toroshino suggested.  
  
"His favorite cat just disappeared a week ago, T'oshin'," Myoshi scolded her older brother, "he might not be so happy about the idea of a new cat, so soon, at any rate."  
  
"We'll have to try him, or Mother will have Lim put to sleep," Kenji said desperately.  
  
"Okay. After school, then," Myoshi said. "Oh, gotta run—Arik's waiting!"  
  
Hitomi filed slowly after her schoolmates.  
  
********************  
  
"He lives here?" Yukari asked incredulously.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. This is 793, Cyan Rd., isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Okay, well, I'm going to knock."  
  
*******************  
  
The man heard his doorbell ring, and wild hope soared through his heart. He ran down the stairs and slammed the door open.  
  
"Is it Ejuen? Do you have her?" he blurted to the bewildered schoolgirls. Hitomi watched them, standing a few yards behind.  
  
"No," Kenji said, and sighed as his face fell. "It's another cat. A kitten, pretty much. Her name is Lim. Can you take her, please? My mother will have her put to sleep if no one does," she added.  
  
"Oh…I'm sorry, but I couldn't possibly—if Ejuen turns up…Oh!" the man's eyes lit up briefly as he remembered the mysterious woman. 'I hope to have one of my own, soon…' "There's a woman who lives down the road apiece, in the old mansion. She likes cats. Perhaps I could take it to her?"  
  
"Okay. We'll come, too," Yukari volunteered.  
  
"Great. Just let me get my shoes," the man said. "I'm Bryce, by the way."  
  
"I'm Yukari. This is Myoshi, and this is Kenji. And that's Hitomi," Yukari pointed to the slender girl standing in the distance. Bryce felt a slight shiver of apprehension when he saw her. There was something strange about her. Very strange. Not necessarily wrong strange, but good strange…  
  
"I'll take you there," he said, and they all followed.  
  
  
  
******************  
  
They came to the street where he had been the night before, by the LOST poster. Hitomi examined the cat, while Bryce looked around in confusion.  
  
"It was just around the corner, last night," he said.  
  
"We've been around the corner at least a thousand times," Myoshi muttered.  
  
"Hmmm…you're sure it's here?"  
  
"I'm positive!" Bryce exclaimed. "Here, give me the kitten. I'll get it to her," he added. "Don't worry. She [the kitten] won't get hurt."  
  
"Uh…"  
  
"If she doesn't take it, I'll take care of Lim myself," Bryce promised.  
  
"Okay, then. Hitomi, are you coming?"  
  
"In a moment. Go without me, I'll catch up," Hitomi said. Bryce came over to her and gazed at the LOST poster.  
  
"She meant a lot to you, didn't she?" Hitomi said softly.  
  
"Ejuen was a wonderful cat."  
  
"Was?" Hitomi eyed him coldly. "You've given up on her, haven't you?"  
  
Just then, Bryce heard the tinkling of Ejuen's bell.  
  
"Not yet," he answered. "I think I hear her—I've got to go!" Carrying the kitten gently, he ran off in the direction of the noise. Hitomi's eyes flashed green.  
  
"Demon," she whispered, and ran to catch up with her friends.  
  
********************  
  
Bryce came to the mansion, only to find it deserted. "H-hello?" he called nervously, wandering around in the dark. The kitten mewed, frightened. "Don't worry," he spoke softly, "I won't let anything hurt you."  
  
He stumbled over an object—it hissed angrily. Bryce backed away and gasped. Surrounding him were hundreds of cats—their eyes vacant and glaring.  
  
The kitten dropped to the ground and scampered into the corner, mewing.  
  
"Hey, come back—"  
  
The woman came. She carried a candle in her hand, a white rose in the other. She walked to the kitten, and carefully pressed the flower up against the animal's face. The kitten seemed to sigh, and when its eyes opened, their beautiful blue had vanished, to be replaced by the empty look of the other cats. It went to join their numbers.  
  
"What did you do to it?" Bryce demanded. "What did you do!"  
  
"Come with me, and I will show you," the woman said quietly. Bryce shuddered, but he followed.  
  
She led him to her garden. The flowers were all swaying in separate directions—and there was no wind that night.  
  
The flowers meowed, hissed, and Bryce realized.  
  
"You've stolen their souls—the cats are trapped in the flowers! You have Ejuen! Monster!" he shouted.  
  
The white flower with the black petal turned toward him, its green center mewing. "Ejuen! Ejuen—" Bryce ran to the flower, stroking it.  
  
"I thought you would understand," the woman's voice was like a knife. "This way, the cats can live on, forever and ever, within beautiful new homes. These flowers, if I take good enough care of them, will last forever. I thought a man who loved cats as much as I did would understand."  
  
Bryce turned to her. "You've destroyed them! They aren't free!"  
  
Three notes sounded. The woman paused—so did Bryce.  
  
Hitomi stood there.  
  
"He's right, demon. They aren't free."  
  
"Guardian!" the woman shouted.  
  
"Yes," Hitomi said. She lit a flame in her hand and threw it. The woman dodged, but the flames struck the flowers, and the garden burned. The souls of the cats escaped into the night.  
  
"My flowers!" the woman screamed. She whirled on Hitomi, her eyes red. "It took me years to cultivate that garden!" she shrieked.  
  
She changed. Her arms thickened, warped, lengthened. Her shimmering hair greened, twisted, shortened. Her body grew larger, taller, leaves and vines sprouting from her trunk and arms/branches. Bryce gave a horrified gasp. She rounded on him.  
  
"You will pay!" she cried, and sent razor-like leaves his way. Hitomi flung her flame and burned the leaves to ashes before they even reached him.  
  
"Your fight is with me, Shinma!" Hitomi ordered. "Leave the human out of this!"  
  
"I will get both of you!" the tree-woman howled. Her vines shot out and slashed Hitomi viciously. Hitomi winced but made no sound, throwing another flame. The shinma blocked with her leaves.  
  
Vine slammed the Guardian into the ground and kept pounding her. Hitomi gasped out against the force of the blows, but she raised another flame.  
  
"Bitch!" she snarled, and threw the fire. The shinma evaded, and Hitomi bit her lip in frustration. She took the shinma's distraction as an opportunity to get up from the ground, though.  
  
Hitomi took a heavy blow from a branch—she was flung into the wall with a sickening thud slid down. Hitomi tried to rise, but her body was screaming in pain and she found that she couldn't. The shinma came at her again, and Bryce could only watch with terrified eyes.  
  
"Van!" Hitomi whispered a command.  
  
Van appeared in front of her, whirling his sword expertly. "Watcher!" the shinma exclaimed, as Van swung and sliced her branches off. She shrieked with pain, and went for Hitomi.  
  
Hitomi's eyes smiled triumphantly as she threw the flame she had conjured while Van was distracting the demon.  
  
"Into the Shadows, Demon!" she cried.  
  
The tree-woman disappeared in a funeral pyre-like fire. The mansion slowly crumpled away.  
  
Van offered Hitomi a hand up. She was going to push it away, but at the last moment, she accepted his hand.  
  
Bryce watched all this, trembling. "I'm sorry," he said to her. "I was falling in love with—that monster! I was disloyal to Ejuen. I deserve this unhappiness. Cats were my whole life before this incident…"  
  
"Do you wish to spend the rest of an eternity with cats? Is your love for them great enough?" Hitomi asked.  
  
"A thousand times over! I love them. I've nothing else in the world, anyway. Cats are so wonderful."  
  
"Then I will take your blood, and give you eternal happiness, an eternity to spend with your cats," Hitomi said softly. She walked slowly to him and pierced his neck with sharp canines that seemed to appear in her mouth. Bryce sighed, and slumped over.  
  
Hitomi turned to Van. "Thank you, Van," she said.  
  
Van nodded.  
  
Hitomi sighed, and her eyes seemed to warm. "I have an exam tomorrow…" she muttered. Van looked at her comically sad face and laughed.  
  
A strange sound reached his ears. He turned to Hitomi, in alarm, and his alarm grew. Hitomi was laughing. She had never before laughed, not once in her eternal life.  
  
And here she was, laughing for him. She smiled at him, and slipped her hand into his. Van flushed, and stared at her in amazement.  
  
"Are we going to go home?" she asked, after an awkward pause.  
  
"Wha—what? Oh, yes," Van gasped, still in a daze and staring into her eyes. She took his other hand, too, and they faced each other as they both vanished.  
  
****************  
  
Bryce stroked Ejuen's back, and she purred contentedly. They sat together in a sunny meadow, surrounded by several other cats. He scratched their chins, talking to them softly, and listening to their wonderful purrs.  
  
Bryce sat alone in his apartment, stroking the air, talking to invisible cats, a delighted smile on his face.  
  
  
  
End Chapter Seven.  
  
So, how'd ya like it? Personally, I think this one is a good chapter. I really need you to vote on what's going to happen next, though. Third Important question is…  
  
What should happen next?  
  
a) V/H, mermaid shinma and the death of a human  
  
b) V/H, Van's wings get revealed while fighting the demon in Red Shoes, episode 8 of Vampire Princess Miyu  
  
c) V/H, Van's wings get revealed while fighting some other demon  
  
V/H (I think you know by now that V/H is a given), Folken's minions attack or something  
  
YODA!  
  
Mr. Mahmood's Chewbaccasaurus! 


	8. The Angel from Hell

I am SO SORRY I didn't write for such a long time! I got caught up in DragonStorm (it's a comic my friend and I are working on) and, well, I sorta forgot about you guys! I'm going to update The Escaflownes soon, and The Rebel King (still gotta write chapt 10 on that one, tho) I'm temporarily cutting The Last Generation and Two Different Worlds so I can keep up with school work. Sorry. But when I'm done with The Rebel King and Night Singer, I should be able to start those again. One more thing: I'm thinking of doing a new Escaflowne fic soon, I'll run the idea by you. Thanx for waiting so long! Finally, Chapters 8 and 9!!!  
  
Chapter Eight: The Angel From Hell (I think you know what's gonna happen?)  
  
"Hitomi! Hey, Hitomi!" Hitomi stopped and waited for Myoshi to catch up with her. "Myoshi." Myoshi stooped over to catch her breath. "Where-are you headed-in such a hurry? Why-don't we-go for cupcakes?" "Sorry. I've got to get home," Hitomi said, watching her friend gulp down air. "Oh. How about tomorrow?" "Perhaps." Hitomi's eyes smiled.  
  
She sprinted away at a pace that she knew Myoshi would never be able to keep. She headed for her roof. Her home. And Van.  
  
:Van!: she called, as she skidded to a halt in front of the house. She vanished and appeared atop the roof. The black-cloaked youth appeared in front of her. "Hitomi." Hitomi looked at him. "You said you had something to show me, after school." Van seemed uncomfortable. "Perhaps later." Hitomi's eyes flashed green. :What do you sense?: Van asked. :A demon. Seems Chinese. That's strange.: :What's strange?: :Someone is attacking it, already.: :Let us go, then,: Van said. He placed a hand on her shoulder and they both faded.  
  
*******************  
  
"Shinma!" an angry voice shouted. "Show yourself!" A young, athletic woman wearing a blue and yellow Chinese dress hefted two chuks. She was crouched down in a street fighter's position, her teeth bared. Around her neck was a small, simple locket of gold. The shinma appeared. "Ryuuji?" the woman stopped in shock. Her former boyfriend stood there. Then his eyes glowed red, and she knew that the shinma had his body. "They tasted so wonderful!" The shinma hissed, Ryuuji's body whirling around like a puppet. "So wonderful!" With angry tears in her eyes, the woman threw herself at the shinma. She screamed in pain as the demon cut loose some wires, and the electricity coursed through her body. When the shocks finally stopped, she got up slowly, noticing that the shinma was beginning to fade away. She threw her chuks, and gnashed her teeth in frustration as they struck the wall, and not the shinma's already-gone shadow.  
  
"You put up a good fight." The voice was of a young female. The woman whirled, sensing a shinma. "Shinma!" she exclaimed, and yanked the chuks from the ground. Hitomi looked at her coldly. "I am not the one you seek." "You are a Shinma. You must die!" The chuks were hurled with deadly accuracy, but Hitomi leapt out of the way, turning a somersault as she did. "Who are you?" she demanded, balancing atop the wall. "My name means nothing to you. I will slay you, then continue my pursuit of the other shinma!" the woman hissed, diving for her chuks and standing up again. This time, when she threw the nunchaku, Hitomi didn't move. "Van." The male demon leapt up in front of her, deflecting the chuks with a flick of his sword. "Another shinma!" "Yes," Van's voice was quiet, but unmistakably deadly. "Try to destroy Hitomi again and I will see to it that you die." "I don't like arrogant humans," Hitomi said. She went to Van, and they vanished. The woman left the place instantly, heading to her former master's shop.  
  
********************  
  
"She wasn't a shinma hunter. Not like Himiko," Hitomi named another hunter she had long disposed of. "But I sensed her sadness. Something has happened to her." Van handed her a gold locket. "This is hers. It fell from her neck while she was fighting the other shinma." Hitomi opened it and stared at the photograph within. "I understand now," she murmured. "This is her family. The shinma must have killed them. She seeks revenge." "Against all of us?" "Against all of us. She must be made to see." "How?" "We'll follow her. She seemed to have been raised in a dojo; she knows the arts." "Then you can take her?" "Yes." "Good. I'll be there; you only need to call."  
  
**********************  
  
The woman entered her master's shop. It was deserted. "Master Fu? Master Fu, it's me, Yuki!" No answer. "Master Fu?" Silence. She wandered around the interior of the shop, admiring the many swords, and oriental blades that were lined neatly on the shelves and within the display cases. Then a creaking noise alerted her ears as a door opened. She looked up, and saw a wizened man with a long, white beard. He wore a Chinese robe-gray silk, and held a cane. "Master Fu!" she bowed respectfully. "Yuki! My pupil, how are you doing? What are you doing here?" he seemed surprised to see her. "I'm fine, Master Fu. I sent a letter-didn't you get it?" Yuki was puzzled. The old man's voice grew shrill and strident. "He got it, but he was delicious! So delicious!" "You-shinma!" Yuki's voice low with fury. "What have you done to Master Fu!?" "He tasted so wonderful," the shinma hissed. "No!" Yuki shouted. "Shinma, you will pay!" She grabbed a sword from the ground and hefted it at him, her other hand holding a sharp dagger. The shinma laughed at her and vanished. "Coward!" Yuki screamed. "Come back!" She saw the photograph, framed on the wall, of a smiling Master Fu, her father, Ryuuji, and herself. "Master Fu." she touched the man's face in the photo gently, wiping dust from the glass. A letter fell from behind the frame and to the ground in front of her feet. She knelt and picked it up. Her hands began to tremble as she read it.  
  
My dear Yuki, If you are reading this right now, then I am already dead. Know this: The shinma will depart the night of the new moon, on the ship called New Beginnings. Good luck, and may the luck goddess be with you. Master Fu  
  
Yuki folded the letter carefully and stuck it in her knapsack. "The new moon! But.that's tonight!"  
  
*********************  
  
Yuki hurried along the darkening road, anxious to catch the ship before it left. She stopped, aware that she was being followed. Yuki whirled back. Nothing. She turned, and gasped. There was that girl she'd seen earlier-the tall, thin one, with short brown hair, and piercing, golden green eyes. Behind her, the dark youth materialized. "Do you want our help?" the girl's question was simple. "Shinma! Never!" "Wouldn't you rather experience eternal happiness? I can grant it to you, with one bite," the girl bared her teeth to reveal the sharp fangs. "I have too much to avenge before I die. Go elsewhere, shinma." "As you wish," the girl whispered. "Good luck," she added.  
  
*********************  
  
"That foolish girl will never catch me," the shinma lisped confidently. He still wore Ryuuji's body, as it was young, and easy to maneuver, and he leaned over the side of the ship's rail. "Think again, shinma!" Yuki's voice, angry, rang out over the sound of the waves. "Back so soon?" the shinma smiled slyly. He transformed, into the body of Yuki's younger sister. "Maylin?" Yuki paused. It was-her younger sister Maylin, wearing the pink frock Yuki had bought her for her fifth birthday. "Why did you let him get me?" Maylin wailed. "Why? I screamed for you-you never came! Yuki, why did you let him get me?" "Maylin.I'm sorry-I-" Then it wasn't Maylin; it was her mother. "Yuki! Why.I had to watch as he ate your father and sister-listen to their screams, listen to their pain! Yuki-you failed us! Why weren't you there to save us?" "Mother-" Her father stood before her. "Father?" "Yuki.Yuki, my little girl! Why didn't you come?" Ryuuji came next. "Yuki! Yuki, I love you-why didn't you come? Why didn't you go to save your family? I tried to stop him-I tried! Why didn't you come!" "Ryuuji! I'm sorry-I-" They ringed around her, screaming and weeping and begging and demanding why she hadn't come. Yuki sank to the ground sobbing, whimpering that she was sorry. The shadows of the possessed souls stretched until they almost touched her body. Then they all screamed, on fire, and jerked away from her body. Yuki looked up tearfully, and saw the strange girl standing there, the dark youth by her side. "Well, human? Are you going to get him?" Hitomi gestured to the shinma that was reforming. "He feeds on human sorrows, so his is a form that is grotesque." Indeed it was.sallow face, but the rest, welling balls of flesh, growing at odd places, small, beady eyes, and bulbous nose, gnashing claws for hands, and hooves that were cracked and split. "Monster!" Yuki yelled. She heaved her nunchaku up and aimed at him. "You killed my family! This is for Maylin!" And she thought of the baby sister she had loved and coveted, who she had often played with and bought things for. She flung the first chuk. "This is for my mother!" She threw the second, thinking of the smiling faced woman who had seldom gotten angry with her, and raised her well. The shinma screamed. "This is for Father!" She grasped a dagger firmly by its hilt and flung it, picturing her father, a handsome man who had taught her the arts, despite the jeers he received. "And this.this is for Ryuuji-the man I loved!" her last weapon was a scroll, blessed by Master Fu himself. She thought of Ryuuji, his charming, cheeky smile, his jokes, everything that she had fallen in love with in him. The demon wailed, shrieking in pain, then disintegrated. "It is done," Yuki whispered. "Mother, Father, Maylin-Ryuuji.I have avenged you." Hitomi reappeared by her side. "Well done." "Will you grant me this eternal happiness of yours?" Yuki turned to her. "I have completed my mission. I have nothing left. I'm ready." She undid her collar and waited. Nothing happened. A slight smile was on Hitomi's lips as she spoke. "No. You should take this time to grieve for your family. Grieve for your lost ones. Besides," the girl's smile grew, "I don't like arrogant humans." She tossed something at Yuki's feet, and vanished. Yuki looked down and gasped. "My locket!" It had fallen face down, but was open. She turned it around, trembling, and began to speak, with tears in her eyes, as she saw the picture. Her mother and father hugged each other, whilst Maylin held hands with Ryuuji in her favorite pink frock. Ryuuji.his handsome face smiled cheekily at her. "Mother.Father.Maylin.Ryuuji.is it all right to weep now? Is it all right to cry for you? I miss you all." Tears ran in unstoppable streams down her face, wetting the tiles of the deck. The night darkened, leaving the woman crouching on the ship New Beginnings, taking her to some unknown land, where she might, perhaps, make a new beginning.  
  
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The puzzled look in Van's eyes made Hitomi stop what she was doing. "Why didn't you give her eternal happiness?" "I." Hitomi glanced at him and stopped. "Go on," he insisted. "Humans have such short lives. Eternal happiness isn't a gift. They exist as soulless shells once I take their blood. Yuki needed to set her affairs in order. My own happiness was not granted," Hitomi added. "So sometimes.I feel it is not fair."  
  
Van touched her hand in a silent question. 'Do you want to tell me?' "No." Hitomi turned her saddened eyes on him. "But I will tell you; take my hand. Van, you must understand. I never meant to hurt anyone." Van slowly allowed her to grasp his hand with her own strangely cold one. He tightened his grip, trying to lend some of his warmth to her. He was pulled into a vortex of thoughts and saw a girl who looked like Hitomi, a thousand years ago, standing with a man and a woman. She wore a white kimono with a red obi, and he noted, in a detached part of his mind, that the color seemed like blood. The man had green eyes. The woman's eyes seemed faintly red. The man seemed empty, though. His eyes wore a blank expression. The scene changed. Hitomi was playing near the sea, when a stranger approached her. Van understood immediately what he wanted as he grabbed the girl's wrist. Hitomi attacked. The fight was over in a relatively short period of time. Hitomi bit the man, and Van saw her raise her head, pure delight glowing on her face, blood running in thin trails down her lips and chin. Now the scene was black. "She has tasted blood! She must pay the price!" a demon roared. Hitomi cowered against her mother. The woman grabbed her hand and they ran, pursued by the shinma. "Mother-I'll never take blood again! Never-" "Hitomi, listen to me," the mother whispered. "I am a shinma. Your father was human, but I bit him, thinking it would give him eternal happiness. Now he is soulless. A shell. Empty. I fell in love with another shinma, so we married and raised you as if you were our own. Your demon blood had to be awakened sooner or later. I'm sorry I didn't see it coming. Take my blood, Hitomi, and run. I have nothing left." Hitomi's reply was to sink her fangs into her mother's neck. The woman sighed, and swayed, but didn't struggle. When Hitomi removed her fangs, she slumped to the ground. Hitomi turned to run, but the shinma caught up with her. "You have tasted blood and broken the promise your mother made to me. Your parents' souls have been sealed. In order to free them, you must send all stray demons back to the Shadows. I give you the Guardian's task, along with the power of flames. Once you have accomplished this, your parents will be free. Until then, time will stand still for you. You will spend your eternal life alone."  
  
Van touched Hitomi's cheek in sympathy. She flinched, and looked questioningly at him. "So that's why.?" he said. "Yes." She reached up, initially wanting to brush his hand away, but decided against it. Instead, she held his hand there. "Hitomi-" he paused, and fell silent, swallowing his words. "Eternal happiness is not a gift," Hitomi said. "Because humans live in a world of such misery and torment, some are granted a life of illusion until their deaths. Some achieve this by themselves." "Insanity?" "Something like it. They reach a point where their minds snap-all reason and logic lost. The result is a free life. Happiness. Do you understand now why it is a curse to be eternally happy?" Van didn't reply for a moment. "Eternal loneliness is also a curse," he said softly. "I don't consider myself lonely," Hitomi smiled faintly. "I have you, don't I?" Van was taken aback, but he returned the smile, even though she couldn't see it, and said, "Yes."  
  
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"Hitomi-you seem awfully happy today," Yukari smiled. "What happened?" Hitomi seemed to smile. "Nothing," she said.  
  
"Cupcakes?" Myoshi asked hopefully. "Oh, alright!" Kenji said. Toroshino groaned. "You've got her started," he said. "Cupcakes! Once she starts eating those she won't be able to stop. Arik won't be able to recognize you when you gain a hundred pounds." He grinned impudently and dodged as his sister aimed a punch at his shoulder. "At least Arik has a car!" Myoshi shot back. "Hey!" Toroshino cried, still smiling, "I resent that!" Hitomi watched them arguing with a strange smile on her face. Yukari looked at her, an understanding grin spreading. "Oh, I get it now! You've met someone, no?" Hitomi's smile grew. "Hai!" she answered brightly. "Who is it? Where's he from?" "I'm not saying," Hitomi replied mysteriously as she stood up. "Cupcake time!" Myoshi grinned. Kenji dug into her purse. "This one's on me!"  
  
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"Are you going to audition?" Yukari asked. Hitomi shook her head. "No." "Could you go with me?" Yukari begged. "No. I'm sorry." "Oh.what about you, Kenji?"  
  
"Toroshino and I have plans," Kenji said. "Sorry," Myoshi smiled. "I'm helping Mom clean today. She gets these 'the-house-must-be-clean' fits." The singing auditions were the talk of the town. A popular producer, Mr. Khazi Wabara, was looking for a girl to become the new teen pop idol. Many girls were trying out. The auditions were the next day. "No one?" Yukari looked around pleadingly. "Excuse me," Sii whispered. "I'll go with you." The quiet girl smiled faintly, the dark circles under her eyes seeming to vanish as she did. "You, Sii?" Myoshi seemed incredulous. "Sure!" Yukari beamed. "Thank you so much!"  
  
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"Stop being so nervous," Yukari said. "You're not even trying out!" "I know," Sii mumbled. "It's just that Mr. Khazi Wabara is so famous!"  
  
The room, full of chatting girls, fell silent as a handsome, blue- haired man in his early twenties entered. "I am Khazi Wabara," he said softly. "The auditions will begin in a-" he saw Sii and paused. "What's your name, little princess?" "Sii. Ryukashin Sii, Mr. Khazi Wabara," she said meekly, her cheeks reddening. "You'll do. Come, we'll start with you." "But I wasn't even going to sing-" Mr. Wabara smiled at her, and she stood up without another argument.  
  
"How come she got picked?!" Rabe hissed. "She can't sing to save her life!" "Mr. Wabara must have seen something in her," Yukari said. "What's there to see?" the other girl sniffed. "Don't say such things about Sii! She's really very nice," Yukari said, her eyes flashing. "Besides, Rabe, you didn't make it!" Rabe opened her mouth; then shut it, her eyes narrowing to dangerous slits.  
  
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".You always wrapped me in your warmth, didn't you/ now you're gone/ but I wish you were here." Sii paused. "It's no good," she said softly. "I can't do it."  
  
"Come now. You just have to try. In fact, I think I have something that might help you," Mr. Wabara stood and went over to the closet in the corner of the room. He returned holding a pair of red shoes-high heels, elegant and shimmering. "Here. These have been blessed by magic; they will help you. All you have to do is believe in the magic." Sii seemed hesitant, but she slipped them on. "Okay," she said, after closing her eyes for a moment. "Good. Now let's do that again." He sat down at the grand piano and began to play.  
  
".You always wrapped me in your warmth, didn't you? Now you're gone, but I wish you were here." Sii began to smile as she sang. The words flowed on her tongue, an unknown language she had suddenly mastered. When they finished, Mr. Wabara clapped. "Wonderful! We'll get your first performance in a few weeks!" Sii never thought she could be happier.  
  
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"So who made the auditions?" Myoshi asked Yukari. "Sii," Yukari smiled. "I'm glad she did. She'll be just wonderful- and I know it won't go to her head." Hitomi nodded. "I believe so, as well."  
  
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Hitomi stood on the roof, gazing at the moon-alone. Van was there, too, but she hadn't seen him. She closed her eyes.  
  
"I open the door, and before me is eternity.But who calls me from so far away? Someone smoothes down my hair-who are you? My flute sings of a land where my heart yearns to be.Footsteps I leave are washed away."  
  
Van felt a chill run up his spine as she began to sing. Her voice was beautiful, pure, and it seemed ethereal.the way the moon washed over her hair, the way the mist wreathed her body.  
  
"The night is mysterious; it conceals the truth.Violet with rain-the sky cries for me." With the wind stirring her hair and the moon casting a silvery glow about her, she seemed from another world-a witch, a valkeyrie, a- You idiot, she IS a vampire! Van thought angrily. He felt himself being drawn into the spell of her song and let himself drown in it.  
  
She opened her eyes now, and the moon was reflected in their sadness. "My flute sings of a land where my heart yearns to be.Footsteps I leave are washed away." The mist swallowed her, leaving only her song behind. Van was shivering like crazy, and he knew it wasn't from the cold.  
  
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Sii's first concert was to be the first of April. Weeks of rehearsal and the supposedly 'magic' shoes had paid off. Her friends had already helped to boost her publicity by posting signs, giving out flyers. She was now catching some sleep before the night of the big day. The red shoes were in her closet-the door shut securely. Rabe entered the room, followed by a boy. "Remember, I do this for you," the boy hissed, "and you give me what I want." "Sure," Rabe winced. "The shoes are in the closet; I'll get them." She bent over, but a voice came from the door. "What are you doing in here?" "Mr. Wabara!" "I could have you arrested for this," the blue-haired man said, advancing. In a panic, Rabe grabbed the knife she held and threw it at him. It struck him squarely in the chest and he went down with a shuddering cry. The boy gasped. "I'm out of this deal, Rabe! Count me out!" he said and rushed past the prone form of the man.  
  
Rabe bent down and took the shoes, preparing to run. She screamed as Mr. Wabara calmly pulled the knife from his chest and said, "You must want those shoes very badly."  
  
********************** Mid-morning. Saturday. Hitomi looked down from the roof of a skyscraper at Rabe's body, stuffed unceremoniously in the corner of an alley, and her eyes flashed green. There is a shinma lurking here, she thought.  
  
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"Mr. Wabara?" Sii mumbled. "I'm here. Just sleep. Tomorrow is the big day-you'll do just fine," the man said. Sii smiled sleepily.  
  
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"Isn't Sii wonderful? She got us really good seats!" Kenji smiled. "Isn't your outfit just a bit too flashy?" Myoshi asked. "Me? You're the one who's too dull! I'm going to dance!" Kenji exclaimed.  
  
"Hey-where's Hitomi?" "I don't know-one minute ago, she was here."  
  
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"Let's go over that song again, okay?" "Okay," Sii took up her position behind the microphone. She closed her eyes and wished on the 'magic' shoes before slipping them on. Mr. Wabara began to play. ".You always wrapped me in your warmth, didn't you-" Three notes sounded-not from Sii. She was frozen by the spell of the song. Mr. Wabara stood, a small corner of his mouth twitching to show his disapproval. "Guardian," he addressed Hitomi in a soft tone. "Do you get a thrill out of manipulating these humans?" Hitomi's voice was also quiet, but it held anger. "I know what those shoes are doing to her. They will eventually kill her." "She will die in the peak of her happiness!" Mr. Wabara growled. "You cannot stop me." "We'll see," Hitomi said. The grand piano made a terrible noise. Its black keys merged with white, it shifted, changed. Mr. Wabara stepped backward-  
  
And was engulfed by the piano. Is the piano the shinma, or the man? Who is controlling who? Hitomi thought worriedly. As if reading her thoughts, Mr. Wabara's voice, from within the piano, said, "We are one and the same." With that, the wriggling, satin black mass that was Mr. Wabara and the piano attacked. Hitomi threw herself to the side as it flung itself at her, summoning her flames as she did. She released them with less accuracy than usual, and was forced to dodge a tentacle-like claw. She leapt clear, threw another flame, and missed.  
  
Then she Sensed another presence behind her. Not Van-his aura was warm and comfortable. This one was harsh. Familiar.  
  
"Nihon!" Hitomi whirled. Sure enough, the Summoner stood there, poised to strike, the ice needles ready in her hands. Hitomi turned again, and saw the piano shinma ready to charge. She couldn't take both of them. Not at once. Nihon smiled daintily as she opened her palms. Suddenly Van was there, shouldering Hitomi aside so hard that she fell to her knees. He stood above her, cold determination shining on his face. Hitomi noticed his cloak was gone, noticed his mask had vanished, noticed his red shirt. Where's his cloak-his mask-Van, what are you doing-VAN!! Both piano shinma and Summoner attacked. Hitomi heard herself yell Van's name. She watched, horrified, as both demons neared him. Van inhaled sharply, and two white wings burst from his back with a cracking noise. Shreds of his shirt fell around her. They [the wings] connected with the Summoner first. Nihon vanished before they could do her real harm, but they slammed into the other shinma. He rose to his feet slowly. Van moved quickly, drawing his sword. He stopped in frustration as the shinma drew Sii's body up like she was a puppet. Dammit-I can't attack-not while he's got the human there! Hitomi began to sing again. Sii sighed, slumping to the ground on the stage. Hitomi threw her flame before the shinma could recover. "Into the Shadows!" she cried. "You haven't won! She'll never be able to take those shoes off!" the piano/Khazi Wabara/shinma roared. He vanished in a haze of flames. Something fluttered down to rest beside her on the stage. A feather. Hitomi stared up at Van in shock. Wings. Van had wings. He gazed at her, sadness, and something else she couldn't quite fathom in his eyes, his mouth curved in a strange, tender smile. The wings shimmered in the dim light, casting patterns of light and darkness on the wood. "Van?" she whispered. He didn't reply. "Are you.a tenshi?" His smile was sad now. "No."  
  
Hitomi didn't hesitate. She stood and went to him, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. Van froze as she raised her head and brushed his cheek with her own, whispering into his ear. "Thank you," she murmured. She stepped back from him, and went to where Sii lay. Hitomi raised the girl's head, bared her neck. "I am taking your blood, and granting you eternal happiness. You can keep dreaming now." Her fangs pierced Sii's skin.  
  
Van's wings glowed softly as he looked on.  
  
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"Canceled?! Awww." Myoshi said. "I wonder why."  
  
"Hey, look, it's Hitomi! Where were you?" Hitomi walked up, her hands in her pockets. "Gone," she replied simply. "Do you think Sii will have another performance?" Kenji asked. "No.somehow, I think she won't. But from now on, she and Mr. Wabara will always be together." Hitomi's face wore a faraway expression. "Huh? What do you mean by that?" Kenji turned back to Hitomi, but the other girl was gone.  
  
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Sii clasped her hands as she sang. She could see the crowd-they filled the stadium. Lights waved back and forth as the people swayed in time to her song. She looked back and saw Mr. Wabara playing on the piano. He smiled reassuringly at her and winked. She flushed, and looked back. The song ended, and the crowd erupted into cheers. She wore her red shoes, as usual-they shimmered in the dazzling light. Sii smiled. Sii wore a hospital gown, and her shoes were firmly on her feet. Her eyes were empty, and she smiled strangely, her hands clasped. She leaned against the bed rail. "Collapsed on stage, right before the performance a week ago." the nurse shook her head sadly. "She's wasting away," she added. "I can't explain it-she's eating well, but still, she's going slowly. How much longer do you think before she.?" "A month," the doctor replied. "It's really a pity. I hear she was on her way to fame. That's probably why she won't let us take her shoes off-those must be a memento of her life as a star." He sighed. "A pity."  
  
You can keep dreaming now.  
  
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"Van?" Hitomi paused shyly behind him. Van had never remembered her being shy. He turned. "Hitomi." "Your wings," she said softly. He winced, and wanted to vanish. But couldn't. How could he, pinned by her eyes like he was? "They are part of your Draconian half, aren't they?" Van nodded slowly. "Don't worry. I think your wings.are beautiful." she said hesitatingly, a slow flush creeping onto her cheeks. Van smiled.  
  
End Chapter 8! Well, how was that? Okay, so the battles with the shinma were kinda short. Important Question: Should V/H kiss before Folken shows up? (Oops, I let that slip! Hint hint!) Before you vote, keep in mind that both of them are really shy and maybe kissing so soon might not be the best thing in the world.yet.  
  
a) Yes b) No c) As usual, YODA!  
  
Next question: Should I have Allen and Dilandau and the rest of the Esca gang? Please note that I will NOT make it into a "Van is jealous because Hitomi likes Allen" thing. That's getting rather old. Besides, I don't like Allen one bit, so if you do say yes, I'll probably kill him off and make good ol' Gaddes (or Gaddis, take your pick) the captain. a) Yes b) No c) YODA  
  
I'll try to write more. But right now I've got to work on Two Different Worlds, The Escaflownes, The Rebel King, The Last Generation, and DragonSun's Insane Talkshow.in short, I'M BUSY!!!!!! Oh.the songs are all from Vampire Princess Miyu. I know I probably screwed some of the lyrics up.it's been a while since I watched that show. U know what? I updated this story and added chapt 8 a week ago. I even read the chapter after I updated. Now I check and it's like that chapter never existed! So I'm posting it again. Boy, I AM ANNOYED. Ciao!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I guess I already told you I'd be loading 8 and 9 together to make up for lost time. I apologize again.  
  
Hitomi took her school jacket off, wiping the sweat from her brow with a sigh. It was getting warmer and warmer, as summer prepared to burst over Tokyo. Red gold sunlight washed over the pathway, tinting her hair. The birds' songs meshed together into a dull buzz as the high-school girl strolled along. She walked by a cave entrance, and paused. It hadn't been there earlier that morning. Throwing caution to the winds, Hitomi stepped in.  
  
  
  
Nihon folded her arms and stared at the ceiling. She wondered why she was being imprisoned here, in this room of strange mechanisms. There was a knock on the door. Strange. Why must they knock, knowing that I cannot escape? Why must they knock, when they are the masters of this place? A second impatient knock. Do you wish for me to give you permission? Very well. "Enter," she said quietly. The door swung open, revealing a veiled man; he wore a cloak of black, shimmering material, that hid his face from view. He waited. What more does he want me to do? A pause followed, then he spoke, in a soft voice. "Well? Aren't you going to invite me to sit?" "If that is what you are waiting for, by all means, do," Nihon said stiffly. She would follow formalities only so far. He pulled the cloak back, exposing a young face, that showed he could only be in his early twenties or so. Gray eyes looked at her solemnly while a shock of blue- gray hair fell in disorder over his forehead. "I am aware of your.relationship.with this Guardian Hitomi?" "She and I have long parted ways," Nihon said, even more stiffly. The man gestured at the empty fireplace, and flames sprung up. Nihon forced her voice to remain calm. "I would like to know the name of my captor, and why I am being kept here." "Very well. You are being kept here so that I may learn more of the fate of Van Fanel. And you may call me.Folken."  
  
  
  
Hitomi had walked the dank, cold passageways of the cave for longer than she'd have liked to. She admitted the cool was a welcome change from the scorching heat of the afternoon outside, but she realized she should have come to an exit by now. Unless this was a trap. She doubted that, though. Van would not come until asked for, and she didn't want to admit she was lost. Not yet, anyway. A soft light flared at the other end of the stone corridor she was roaming. "Huh?" Hitomi turned in that direction, and saw a gateway. This gets more and more interesting. It will be worth the risk. She walked up to it and put her hand through it tentatively. Her hand disappeared.  
  
  
  
Mikaeo was playing by the waterfall; he knew his mother had told him never to go there, but he went anyway. A sudden noise alerted him, and he turned in its direction. And let out a scream. A hand-slender, white-but a hand nonetheless-was poking out of the waterfall! (A/N: Duh!) Now he knew why his mother told him not to go to the waterfall-demons lived within, that would grab you and-  
  
  
  
Hitomi pulled her hand back and stared at it for a moment. Other than the fact that it seemed to be wet, it was alright. She shrugged, and put it back through.  
  
  
  
The hand disappeared for a moment. Mikaeo ran down towards the village, yelling for help. "Help! Demons, by the waterfall! Help! Help! Demons!"  
  
  
  
Hesitantly, Hitomi eased herself through the gateway. Her first surprise came as torrents of water poured down on her, drenching her uniform. Her next surprise was when she stepped out of the waterfall, cursing, as people armed with swords and spears surrounded her. "Hey, you don't look like a demon at all!" a little boy remarked. A woman, his mother, shushed him quickly. "Could someone tell me.where I am?" Hitomi asked. "Torushina," the boy answered. His mother shushed him again. He fell silent, abashed. "I'm afraid I don't know where that is," Hitomi said softly. "I came through the waterfall." "Liar! There is a wall of solid rock behind the waterfall! Everyone knows that!" a man said angrily, brandishing his sword in her face. Hitomi looked at him. "I came through the waterfall," she maintained. "I don't know what you're playing at, but." "Go on, then! Go back through the waterfall! If you are lying, you will not be able to pass. If you are telling the truth, you will be able to pass through and escape us!" Hitomi nodded. "It seems agreeable." She turned, and put her hand back through the waterfall. To her horror, it was solid. "I.cannot pass through?" "Come with us," the man growled, holding his weapon up. Hitomi shrugged. "It seems I have no choice."  
  
  
  
Van waited for Hitomi to return. It was now eleven o'clock at night, and she hadn't returned from school. He wondered if she had run into any shinma. But then.she would have called for him by now. He closed his eyes, and oriented for her, and found that he couldn't locate her anywhere. That in itself was strange.he would wait another three hours. If she did not return by then, he would search for her.  
  
  
  
Hitomi didn't come back. She never appeared that morning. Van decided something was amiss, but the only way to find out where she had gone was to speak to her schoolfriends. He undid his cloak, placed it besides his mask, which he had already shed, and made them vanish. He would pose as a family friend, tempting as it was to play the part of her sweetheart. He figured she wouldn't appreciate that. Van waited until the afternoon before confronting them. He appeared a street before, and walked towards them. "Hello," he said, keeping his face down, "I'm looking for Kanzaki Hitomi? You're her friends, right?" The red-head spoke up. "I'm Yukari, this is Myoshi, and this is Kenji. You are?" "Hitomi's.friend. She hasn't come home for two days now. I was wondering if you knew where she was." Perhaps it was the hesitation in his voice as he said 'Hitomi's.friend' or maybe it was the faint flush that rose in his cheeks, but Myoshi peered at him. "Do I know you? Haven't I seen you before? On the school trip! You were in a black cloak and you were about to." "Er.I don't think we've met before," Van mumbled. "But I'm asking about Hitomi." "No, we haven't seen her. Actually, she never came to school today." "But she left yesterday, right? Did she go with anyone else?" some of the anxiety he was feeling leaked out into his voice. "Jealous, are we?" Myoshi began, but Yukari stopped her. "Myoshi, be serious. Yeah, she left on time yesterday, but she didn't go with anyone." "Do you know where she headed?" "Uh.towards the park, I think." Kenji supplied. "I'm not sure exactly, but she headed for that intersection." "Thanks," Van said. He hurried off in that direction. "Weird." Yukari said. "I've never seen him before. If he's Hitomi's friend, he ought to go around with her more often." "Maybe he's visiting.but why would he be living with her?" "I know I've seen him before." Myoshi said.  
  
  
  
Hitomi paced back and forth within her cell-a sectioned off area of a house, with barred windows. She could easily burn it all down and escape, but to where? The gateway was blocked; she had nowhere to go. Besides, she wanted to learn more of these people. There was a tentative knock on the door, and a girl entered, bearing a tray of food. "For you, miss." "Thank you," Hitomi watched her as she knelt and placed the tray before her. She knelt as well. "If I may ask, where am I?" "Torushina." They seem to think that will explain everything, Hitomi thought, annoyed. "Where is Torushina?" "Why, in Asturia! Where are you from?" the girl handed her a piece of bread. "I'm from Tokyo," Hitomi answered truthfully. "Where's that?" "Japan. Earth." "The Mystic Moon!? You're from the Mystic Moon!?" she backed away. "It is impossible! No one has been able to cross since Fanelia was burned!" It was Hitomi's turn to be shocked. "Fanelia? You know of Fanelia?" "Certainly," the girl scoffed. "I used to live there! But when Lord Folken returned and burned it down, I fled! And since Van-sama-" she added the title so sarcastically it burned "-ran away, like the coward he is, Folken has ruled Fanelia for more than two years!" "Only two years have passed?" Hitomi said softly. "On earth.it has been a millennium." "What are you saying?" the girl eyed her suspiciously. "What's your name?" Hitomi asked. "Saita. Actually, they call me Saitaaealaera, but Saita for short. You can see why, can't you?" she smiled. Hitomi nodded. "Saita, do you know of demons called Shinma?" The girl nodded. "The rulers of Fanelia were shinma.and we never knew! They were not terrible, though. I don't understand." "What would you do if I told you Van was alive?" "I wouldn't care! He ran away and left his people to die! Besides, he's half demon, half Draconian-that is a terrible thing! We despise him." "I see." "What are your connections to Van-sama?" "I." "Saitaaealaera! Stay away from that girl, don't tell her anything! She could be a demon!" an older man pulled Saita backwards. "I am a demon," Hitomi said, staring at her hands. "I am Kanzaki Hitomi, a Guardian. It is my purpose to slay all stray Shinma." "We should destroy her immediately!" a second man joined the first. "I warn you, it will be difficult," Hitomi said. "I will put up a fight."  
  
  
  
Van stood in the center of the park. Yes, he could sense her.but where was she? Her aura lingered, but it was fading. He started violently. What if-what if. No! I sealed the Crossing when Pierre, Lilith and I fled from Gaea! It is not possible that it could have opened up again.the seal was permanent.Folken! He must have found out-and.Hitomi's in terrible danger, if it has been opened! But the seal.it can't have.unless.it doesn't matter, I have to go to her! He threw himself into a sprint and ended up at the cave entrance where Hitomi had stood a day ago. Van closed his eyes and forced his aura to flare; the opening was revealed. He ran inside, came to the gateway. The seal was intact. "What?!" he stared at it in disbelief. Hitomi had been there, he could sense it. But how.on earth could the gateway be sealed again? It didn't matter. Van touched it slowly and saw his hands pass through. He didn't hesitate; he flung himself through it and through the waterfall. He made sure his mask was secure, before setting off. Hitomi's aura was getting stronger and stronger.  
  
  
  
Nihon looked at Folken. He was pacing back and forth before the fire. "But why do you want to know about Hitomi and Van?" "I want to destroy them," he said. He froze. "Van's returned. I knew if I broke the seal his guardian would not be able to resist-and as he is sworn to protect her, he would follow."  
  
  
  
Hitomi was surrounded by people on all sides. She glared at them, but she couldn't throw flame.not yet.they weren't much of a threat. A few fires would scare them enough to leave her alone. "Now!" "I did warn you-" Hitomi pivoted, causing several men to miss her and tumble into those charging the opposite way. She smiled, and leapt into the air, while they gasped and pointed. "Let me through!" a voice called. A voice tinged with power. A Hunter. Hitomi looked and saw a tall young man with flowing golden hair. He had a talisman jingling around his neck, and he raised his hand and pointed at her. Hitomi struggled, and found she couldn't move. "Shinma, what reason do you have to be in our village?" he demanded. "I came upon your village by accident," Hitomi said. "I do not know how." "Allen! Kill her!" a voice called. "There's no haste," Allen said calmly. "We can find out exactly what she's up to." Hitomi struggled against the invisible ropes, but they only squeezed tighter in response. Van, where are you.?   
  
Van appeared inside the hut, causing quite a lot of pandemonium. He slashed the strings, and Allen backed away, drawing his sword. Hitomi gasped. "Va-you came! But how?" "Hitomi. Are you hurt?" "No.but." "It took me a while to find the gateway, but I'm here now. Just give the order and I'll attack." Allen had recovered, and, drawing his sword, he charged. Van met the charge, slicing at him furiously. Allen swung up, Van deflected, but the sword tip caught his mask and sent it flying to land at Saita's feet. There was a collective gasp as Van's face was exposed for all to see. "Van-sama?!" Van slowly lowered his sword. Allen went in for the killing stroke, but stopped short as Hitomi jumped in front of him, flames in her hands. "Van-sama. Coward!" a woman hissed. "You fled your home when we needed you most!" "You're a coward that betrayed your people!" "Coward!" "I can't believe you would do such a thing! Why!?" "I hate you!" "How could you?!" Hitomi stayed in front of Van, as if to protect him from the insults. Gradually, they stopped. Hitomi went forward (people gasped and backed away from her) and picked up Van's mask. She walked back and handed it to him. Their fingers brushed; she jumped. Van replaced the mask on his face. If he had noticed her jump, he didn't say so. "Van Fanel does not exist anymore," he said softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "He is dead." "Hah!" Allen snorted. "I'm taking both of you for questioning-try to resist and I'll spear the both of you like fish. Come on. Dilandau, take them." A youth with blood-red eyes shoved them forward.  
  
  
  
Allen put them in a room with magical wards, so they couldn't disappear, or set anything on fire. Hitomi sighed, staring out a window at the stars. "Two years here, and it's been a millennium on earth. How many years do you think have gone by now back in Tokyo?" "None," Van said. "I took the liberty of freezing life on earth while I went after you." "Van, you're a genius!" Hitomi looked like she was about to hug him, but she held herself back. "I'm sorry I got us into this mess." "I followed you. This incident is entirely my fault." "I don't know.I don't know anything anymore." Hitomi sighed again. "Van, I'm sorry I doubted you when you first mentioned Fanelia to me." "It's okay." Van took his mask off and looked at it. "But it is true. Van Fanel died a long time ago." he smiled briefly. "You killed me." "I'm sorry about that, too." "Don't be sorry." "When we get back, I'll make this up to you somehow," Hitomi said quietly. "I never realized how much I needed your help. I would've been strangled by that snake shinma. I would've been killed by Nihon and the piano shinma. Without you, I would have died several times over. I'm glad I have you." "Hitomi."  
  
"Your food," Dilandau entered, jauntily, Hitomi thought. "It's about time," he said. "You're going to help us overthrow Folken, I know it!" "As I said earlier, Van Fanel is dead. I have no ties to this place; I will return to the Mystic Moon with Hitomi." "You'll spoil all the fun! It's been a while since we had a good war, Fanel. Don't you remember me?" "Dilandau-san." Van said slowly. "You were a samurai, at the palace." "Right! I can't wait for another battle. My sword is in need of a good blood bath, don't you think? Besides, Folken's had it coming! I'll burn his castle to the ground-it's the only good way to destroy things. Mmm.burn it all! Destroy!" "Actually, I had hoped I could accomplish that," Van said, with a rueful smile. "And Allen was at the palace, too, but he left because he found out what you were and, anyway, your father banished him." Dilandau grinned, a sharp, feral expression. "So I got hired as his assistant because I'm the only other one with 'Hunter' blood or whatever. Eat up, if all goes well, you will be released to help us with this war!" He left. Van stared at his food without eating. Hitomi looked at him. "Van." "I want to go back to Japan. It's my life now. Assisting you is my life now. I don't understand.for a long time, it was my desire to destroy Folken. Now.that has changed. If he still wants to kill me, I suppose I'll have to kill him, but.Hitomi, do you understand?" "Yes," she said softly. "I understand."  
  
  
  
"Hey, Fanel! Wake up." Van opened his eyes and saw Dilandau shaking him. "I've decided I'm going to let you go. I'd just love to piss that Allen Schezar off! Come on, move it! I've removed the wards; it would be better if you disappeared-less damage," he said, but he looked disappointed. "So you'd better swear to return, or I'll Cross after you." Van nodded. "Thanks, Dilandau. I give you my word that I will return to help your cause." Dilandau grinned again. "Humph. I don't know why I'm doing this; I'm ruining the last chance for us to kill Folken-" "No, I'll come back. I promised last time, and I came back. So now I'll return once more." "-but I'm also ruining Allen's reputation! Yes, that's it!" his red eyes glinted insanely. "Anything to annoy Allen. He's such a stuck up sissy, anyway. Scared a little blood'll damage his pretty-boy uniform. So I'll watch out for you, Van-sama. Sayanora, for now." "Sayanora, Dilandau-san." Van lifted Hitomi and vanished.  
  
  
  
Hitomi woke in Van's arms-he was gazing at her tenderly, but when he noticed she was awake, he looked away. "Van? Where are we?" "Back. In Tokyo. But I will have to return to Gaea. I gave Dilandau my promise." "No.we will have to return to Gaea. I've decided that I never want to go anywhere without you, Van. I told you a long time ago I never wanted you to leave me again. So I'm going with you." "Hitomi.you really don't have to do this." "Van, don't make me repeat myself. Not again." She smiled at him; his heart began to cartwheel. "Well, if you insist. Oh-I met your friends," Van said. "They were interesting." Hitomi nestled in the circle of his arms for a moment longer before vanishing and reappearing behind him. "I'd better go now-school," she said. "The final exam is today and I need to make up the one I missed yesterday." Van nodded, and watched her disappear.  
  
  
  
"Hitomi! You're back-we were all so worried! Where were you?" "I was at my.friend's village," Hitomi said. "It's in.Kyoto." "Oh, really? A very handsome young man came and said he was looking for you.he asked if you were with anyone. Do you know him?" "Oh.uh, yes." Hitomi blushed. "He's an old family friend-very old family friend." "He didn't seem that old," Kenji said. "In fact, we thought he was your age." "We've known each other for a long time," Hitomi said softly. "We've been friends for ten centuries." "Huh?" Myoshi wrinkled her nose. "Hitomi, don't be silly, ten centuries-" "Er.I mean ten years," Hitomi said hastily. "I got carried away." "Right." Yukari looked at her uncertainly. "Anyway, we're glad that you're back. So.who wants tea?" They all looked at her. "Tea? I thought you liked ice cream?" "Well, it's neutral, isn't it? I've picked something we all like," Yukari shrugged. "Okay," Kenji smiled. Myoshi nodded. "Sure, why not?"  
  
  
  
Folken sighed. "They've escaped my grasp, but for now only." He turned to Nihon. "You were once a being called Sora. You served me, but you were murdered. Now your reincarnation will help me destroy my brother and his dark love." "Dark love." Nihon said softly. "I think I remember.Folken-sama."  
  
So, whatcha think? I know.Dilandau's kinda happy-go-lucky, kill everyone, too nice, but.oh, I don't know! If you liked his new attitude (which I doubt), which, by the way, was triggered by myself typing late at night after drinking sugar-loaded fruit juice, tell me! If you don't, give me some suggestions! 


	9. Starvation of a Vampire

Finally! Night Singer is also updated!  
  
We don't own Escaflowne or Vamp. Miyu! We're very sorry for the delay, as well! Yami and I will try to update faster in the future!!  
  
Chapter Ten: Starvation of a Vampire  
  
"KYAAAAAA!!!! Quick! Someone get a teacher! Hurry!" Yukari screamed. Hitomi turned her head, and dropped her bag in shock. The two girls had entered the gym early, to prepare for Hitomi's first track practice. Yukari, already on the team, was going to explain everything to her. Kenji and a few other girls had tagged along. All of them stood, frozen, at the scene before them. Kenji, Dita, and Meeru also screamed. Meeru dashed out of the gym, yelling in extremely hysterical tones:  
  
"Kizu's dead! Otonashi-san! Kizu's been murdered!!! OTONASHI- SAN!!! TASUKETE KUDASAI!! KIZU IS DEAD!!!!"  
  
Hitomi faltered as she bent over to retrieve her bag, her white face growing even whiter and perhaps more strained than it had in the last few weeks. She swayed. Yukari noticed, and, though she was perhaps more frightened than Hitomi, grasped her friend's elbow firmly to prevent her from collapsing. Hitomi fought to regain control over her body, which seemed to have turned to jelly in that short lapse of time.  
  
This was the second girl to be killed, that week alone. The first one (Yume, a third-year, hysterical over juken-exams-and wanting to die, yet too afraid to even attempt suicide), she had also chosen as a target. She had planned to offer the girl eternal happiness-in that case, the heart to plunge into the lake and drown. The same night Hitomi had thought to attack, Yume was found dead, presumably drowned, in the lake.  
  
At first, Hitomi thought that, perhaps, just perhaps, this Yume had finally gotten up the courage to take her own life, but when she and Van visited the morgue, just to make sure, not only did she detect traces of shinma, but Yume's body was entirely drained of blood-along with two fang marks along her neck. Apparently, the police had forgotten to mention those two minor details. To Van, it meant that there was a blood-drinking shinma on the loose. The Hitomi, it meant that she would have to go about another few days without sustenance. She did, after all, live off the blood of humans. She of course thought it a coincidence.  
  
This proved differently. For the second time, her chosen recipient of eternal happiness had been killed. Judging by the ashen pallor Kizu's corpse wore, she, too, had had her blood sucked dry.  
  
"Hitomi! Are you alright?" Yukari asked. When the other girl did not immediately answer, she shook her lightly and repeated herself. Hitomi looked up at Yukari with dull eyes. It struck the other girl that Hitomi was perhaps a shade paler than usual.  
  
"I'm. . .fine. . .Yukari," Hitomi said, the words coming out with difficulty. Her mind processed the information slower than it usually would. Already feeling very dizzy from lack of food, she didn't want Yukari to remove the support, afraid she would faint. Angrily, she reminded herself that Guardians did not faint.  
  
If this shinma was going to stake out her targets and drink them dry before Hitomi herself ever got a meal, then Hitomi would perish. Or vanish. Guardians couldn't die, seeing that they were immortal until every shinma had been destroyed-a basically endless job. Yukari's voice rolled on with the sounds of the sea. Hitomi couldn't see very properly. Two meals missed. How many more before it would stop? How long before her immortal body shut down. . .?  
  
"Hitomi?" Yukari said. When Otonashi-san, the gym teacher, came running to the sight of a girl's bloodless body poking out of the an open locker, head lolling, eyes wide and glassy, he gasped, gulping visibly, and then shouted for other teachers to come at once. Meeru pushed her head by his shoulder cautiously, and saw Yukari supporting Hitomi, who had, indeed, fainted.  
  
"I'm sorry," Yukari said breathlessly, to the nurse. "Hitomi rarely ever collapses like this. But it's the second killing in a row, and in our school! I think it was just too much for her."  
  
Hitomi struggled against the nurse, who was trying to ease her down onto a bed in the infirmary.  
  
"She's strong, y'know," the nurse grumbled, shoving even harder. "Very strong. Almost unnaturally, for a girl."  
  
"Hitomi's been taking the martial arts since she was little, Watanabe- san," Yukari explained. She stroked her friend's white hand. "It's only us, Hitomi. Don't fight us."  
  
Hitomi writhed for a moment longer, then settled into deeper unconsciousness.  
  
The nurse's trained eye could see that this period of rest was not usual. In fact, the girl looked like she had died, from her shallow breathing and pallid features.  
  
"Has she been skipping her meals?" the nurse asked.  
  
"Uh. . ." Yukari thought back. Yes, it had seemed strange that Hitomi never ate when they did. She only drank things: tea, orange juice, lemonade, more tea, spring water-she didn't mind ice cream-of course, she always seemed so healthy, and bright. "No, Watanabe-san, I don't think so."  
  
"Keep an eye on her, understand? If she even goes past a single meal, you'll send her straight to me. It isn't healthy for someone already as thin as she is."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Hitomi snapped upright, surprising the both of them. The nurse tried to push her down again, but she resisted.  
  
"Yukari-" she cried. "Kizu! What about Kizu?"  
  
"Hitomi. . ." Yukari said, not looking her friend in the eye as she remembered the body being removed from the school in a white sheet, "she's dead."  
  
"No. . ."  
  
"Hitomi?"  
  
"I don't feel well at all," Hitomi said briskly, although she began to sound more like herself at that moment, "Watanabe-san, may I be excused for the rest of this day?"  
  
The nurse began to protest that she obviously wasn't strong enough to walk home, but Hitomi shook her head.  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
"Here, I'll walk her to the bus stop," Yukari offered. "Please tell Tolkien-san why I'm late."  
  
They both rose, Hitomi leaning heavily on the other girl.  
  
||  
  
"Thanks, Yukari," Hitomi said wearily, as she sat down on the bus bench. "I can't believe I fainted like that. I've. . .never done it before."  
  
"Don't worry, Hitomi. I'm sure the killings are going to stop soon."  
  
"I'm not," Hitomi said. "What if they go on? What if I. . ." she stopped. "Yukari, did the nurse think I was skipping meals?"  
  
"Yes, she did."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
"Okay, Hitomi. I'll see you around. Feel better, okay?"  
  
Hitomi smiled. "Okay." She watched Yukari dashing back to the school, and wondered why the school had not been closed. It occurred to her then that perhaps she, Kenji, Yukari, Meeru, Dita and a few other girls on the track team were the only ones to have seen the corpse.  
  
"It can't go on like this," Hitomi said softly. "Shinma and we Guardians cannot coexist like this."  
  
||  
  
"Hitomi, are you feeling okay? You look pale," Van said, concerned, as she appeared on their rooftop.  
  
"I'm fine, Van," she managed a wan smile. "Did you hear about the second girl?"  
  
"Kizu, was it?" Van said.  
  
"Yes. My second target. Someone is trying to starve me, Van."  
  
"Starve you. . .?" she couldn't see his expression beneath the mask, though she could feel his anxiety.  
  
"I chose Yume. She was killed. I chose Kizu. She, too, was killed. Van, it cannot go on like this. You do understand, do you not?"  
  
He nodded, grimly.  
  
"I'm going to need food. I can't just jump on my target. They must first be willing. It is in this way that I am not like these other shinma."  
  
"Perhaps it would be better if I were to do the choosing," Van said softly. "It's only a suggestion, but I think. . .I think, if I were to choose, perhaps whatever is stalking you will be thrown off guard."  
  
"But you could be attacked, Van," Hitomi said, staring at him with soft green eyes.  
  
"I can assure you that they would have a hell of a lot of trouble trying to subdue me, Hitomi." He folded his arms, confident.  
  
"I cannot allow you to do that."  
  
"I understand."  
  
"Please, Van. I don't want. . .any more blood on my hands than is necessary. I don't want any more suffering. I don't want this, Van! I don't want this!" she was almost crying now. Van was seized with a strange longing to go up to her and put his arms around her, pull her to him, comfort her.  
  
However, she pulled herself together faster than he could decide exactly what to do.  
  
"I'm not a child," she said quietly. "I may look it, but I am not a child."  
  
||  
  
The next girl taken was an American one, an exchange student of some kind. Her name had been Alice. A day ago, she had been just as shocked and horrified by the events. Now, her body was gone, shipped back to America for burial.  
  
Again, it was drained of blood.  
  
Hitomi suffered silently. All her teachers and friends noted she was slowly becoming weaker, though she gave no outward sign of discomfort. The normally extremely fast Hitomi would have to stop while running, clutching at her chest and gasping, pain-caused tears in her eyes. She became terribly pale, and looked like she was constantly going to collapse. And yet, her physical appearance never changed. Her skin retained its smoothness. Her hair never lost any of its dark shine. She never seemed to truly have become ill. All they knew was something was destroying her, and, slowly but surely, it would soon eat her away.  
  
(A/N: I'm making Hitomi ill in a lot of these fictions, aren't I? Gomen ne, Hitomi-san!!)  
  
The only difference they noticed was her eyes. They were dull, no longer glowed with that beautiful energy. At times, they almost seemed red. During those times, she would pause for a moment before she could regain control of herself.  
  
Van was, if possible, the most concerned out of all these friends, admirers, and teachers. Every night he would watch the young Guardian return to her rooftop sanctuary, weak, pale, feeling faint; her skin the color of cold ashes on a hearth. The brightness in her cheeks had vanished, leaving only a sheen of gray. However, he remained obedient to her order, and never left to find food for her. He had made a silent promise to himself that, should another target be killed, he was going to get that shinma and destroy it, for her.  
  
Hitomi. . .  
  
"Van, I don't know what's happening to me," she whispered, her voice hoarse. "All I can think about is getting the blood. I think. . .I think. . ." She shuddered, hugging her thin frame, and looked up at him pathetically, tears running down her cheeks. "Oh, Van!"  
  
With a sob, she threw herself into his surprised arms. He knew better than to drop her, so he held her cautiously and waited until she had stopped shaking.  
  
"I think. . ." she continued, after a moment, her voice muffled, "that if I don't get. . .something to. . .to eat soon, I'm going to go insane. I'm going to start attacking everything! I felt it. I can't go on like this! I can't, I can't-" she began to shake again.  
  
"Then it must end tonight," Van said. "Hitomi, snap out of it. You've got to think. Think, Hitomi. Please think." He gave her a gentle jerk.  
  
"I need to. . .lure the shinma. I need to get it. I'm going to. . ."  
  
"Take my blood for the moment, Hitomi. I know you need it badly. Take it-you know if won't affect me like it does humans," and he bared his neck, waiting.  
  
"Van, I couldn't," she said softly, looking down. His offer seemed to have sobered her up a bit. "After all you've done for me, all I've done is get your cloak all wet. I can't believe I did this. Please forgive me. Don't worry; I can last another few days before I start to slip."  
  
||  
  
"Hey, Meeru," Hitomi said quietly, as she was sitting on a bench before gym class. She had been excused from the class, but Meeru was changing into her uniform.  
  
"Yeah, Hitomi?"  
  
"I need your help on something. You know I've been ill lately, right?"  
  
"Yes?" the other girl stopped short of pulling her shirt off, looking at her with sudden interest. Good-she at least had her attention.  
  
"I've been having a tough time, and-"  
  
"You want help with something?" Meeru's eyes widened. Hitomi, the star-student, top in track and grades-she wanted help with something?! She was asking her?!  
  
"Uh, yes," Hitomi said. She blushed, and then was amazed she still had enough energy in her system to pull that little trick off. "Could you meet me in the library after school?"  
  
"Sure thing, Hitomi!"  
  
||  
  
She does pick the loveliest girls, doesn't she? Raphael though to himself, as he watched Meeru making her way towards the library. Mmm. This one has gorgeous hair. Oh, well. She's got a bounce to her step. I wonder what Hitomi offered her? Too bad she has to die. But if I'm going to live through this little ordeal and help my younger brothers return from the shadows, I'll need to clear the way for them, first. Michael, Uriel, Gabriel. . .give me the strength.  
  
He strode towards the library purposefully, intending to overtake the girl before she entered. Third-stride, he realized that was virtually impossible. Much better to wait within the empty library and kill her there.  
  
He knew Hitomi was not there yet. He had been watching her long enough to understand all her habits.  
  
Mmmm. . .human blood has such a delicious tang to it. It's rather like ambrosia. What's this one's name? Meeru? Meeeeeeeeruuuu. I like it. It has a very nice ring to it. I think I'm going to call her. 'Meeeeeeeruuuuuu. . .Meeeeeeeeeruuuuu. . .' That should scare her. He chuckled, vanished and reappeared within a bracketed set of bookshelves. Hitomi is weak from lack of blood. I should be able to take her. If not, I'll just kill this girl, wait another week, and then knock the Guardian out.  
  
He was Raphael, the eldest of four brothers, in order from oldest to youngest: Raphael, Uriel, Michael, and Gabriel. Of the four, he was also most powerful. He had managed to escape from Shadows. In this way, he planned to bring his three younger siblings back from Shadows as well. Together, they would rule the four corners of the earth. He would take the east, Uriel, the north, Michael, the south, and Gabriel, the west. (A/N: In case you haven't realized. . .Raphael, Uriel, Michael and Gabriel are archangels for the four elements: Fire, Earth, Water, and Air. Their 'four corners' also correspond to the areas of the four elements. I'm doing a graphic novel about this kind of thing, so I'm researching it!! ^_^)  
  
Meeru shuddered as a draft wafted over her body. Gee. I guess Hitomi isn't here yet. And I skipped work to be here, too! Oh well. I guess she doesn't do this often. And, anyway, because she's ill, she'd probably take longer than usual anyhow. Still, this library is creepy. I wonder how long it's been since people have used it? Since the new one opened on the other side of the new university, more people have been going there. . .Hey. . .where are all the librarians?  
  
"Meeeeeeeruuuuuu. . ." it was a long and sibilate sound, like a cold breeze easing its way through dead branches, with the creaking of those branches as a strident undertone. Meeru gasped, and jumped with fright as the whisper went on, becoming louder and louder with every passing second. "Meeeeeeeeruuuuuu. . .I want you, Meeeeeeeeruuuuu. Meeeeeeeeeeeeruuuuuuuuuu. . ."  
  
She opened her mouth to scream, her heart pounding. Oh god. I'm going to die! This is just like the other killings! I'll bet. . .no, it can't be Hitomi. . .but. . .but. . .TASUKETE!!!!!  
  
That was exactly what exited her throat, a cry which stopped short as a very, very handsome young man, his shape misty around the edges, appeared before her. His eyes were long, and narrow, with sweeping golden lashes. But when he opened them, she gasped again and cried out; they were red, evil, and she knew if there ever was a devil, he was standing before her now. He had the most beautiful smile, yet it was cold, and hard. She felt her knees beginning to go weak. This was the end. Her only hope was for Hitomi to appear.  
  
"Meeeeeeruuuu," he whispered, caressing the hollow of her throat with a small movement of his hand that made her whimper in fear. "Ah, yes. You are a pretty one, aren't you? I don't understand why she chooses such beautiful girls. The only reason I'm killing you is to starve that damned Hitomi Kanzaki."  
  
She had stopped struggling at his touch, and fell, as if hypnotized, into a trance. Raphael continued to stroke her neck, grinning in anticipation of his meal.  
  
"Oh, Meeeeeeeeruuuuu. . ." and he brought his lips to her throat.  
  
She gave a little wail, but was powerless to move. This was his power; to paralyze his victim until he chose to release her from her mental bonds. His brothers had similar powers, all based upon fear.  
  
"P-please d-d-don't," she panted, her eyes wide and terrified upon the top of his golden head, as she felt his lips parting and sharp canines pushing through her skin.  
  
"It won't her, dearest Meeru," he crooned. "It's only a bite. You won't feel a thing. Oh, Meeeeeeeeeruuuuuuu. . ." with that hiss, he opened his mouth wide, letting the fangs sink deep within.  
  
"Stop!"  
  
The cry was faint. He turned, to see the Guardian standing there. She looked ready to fall at the slightest notice.  
  
"Hi-to-mi," he said softly, shoving Meeru aside harshly. She fell to the ground, blood seeping in a slow trail from her neck, her eyes still wide and beginning to glaze over. "I was wondering if you had intentionally placed this girl here."  
  
"So you are the one who has been stealing my prey," Hitomi said. She sounded scornful, though she swayed. "I don't like shinma who play with their food."  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Raphael said, still smirking as he licked the last traces of Meeru's blood from his lips. "I just can't understand why the Clan would choose such a weak little girl, can you?"  
  
He waited, ready to spring if she lunged at him. She didn't move, so he continued to bait her. He walked over to Meeru, who was still quite alive. She gave a little moan when she saw his shadow falling over her.  
  
"I don't think she's going to live, Hitomi."  
  
"Then so be it," Hitomi said.  
  
"Let me introduce myself, then. I am Raphael, the eldest of four shinma brothers. You are Hitomi, the Guardian. As I said before, it is a pleasure to meet you. But it will certainly be a pleasure to kill you, as well. I didn't believe it would be so easy to starve you of your rightful prey. I've already robbed you of three. Why do you choose such pretty little things?"  
  
She didn't say anything. She was trembling from the fatigue he thought, from the anger she knew. Raphael went on.  
  
"Was she your friend, dear Hitomi?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then it is no loss to you."  
  
"None whatsoever."  
  
"The longer we talk, the weaker you grow. Come now, exactly how old are you?"  
  
With a cry of rage, she launched herself at him. Her anger, combined with ferocious hunger, washed out all reasoning and logical thinking. The only thing she knew was she had to get blood. Shinma, or human, it didn't matter.  
  
Blood.  
  
He vanished just as she charged; Hitomi skidded to a halt, confused. Where had the damned thing gone?! She needed his blood. She needed something, anything-  
  
Another horrible wrench and she doubled over, gulping for air, her hands tightening around her waist as the pain rolled over her. A kick to her back sent her flying. She landed heavily, two yards away from Meeru's body.  
  
"On your feet, girl. I thought Guardians would put up more of a fight than this. On your feet!"  
  
She lay still, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of her obeying. It was not a mistake. He let her lie there, patiently waiting as more life drained out of her, much like the blood of that girl Meeru. Hitomi must have realized what was happening, because she hauled herself up.  
  
:Hitomi, do you want me to help you?: It was Van. His mind-voice came across with urgent concern. As she started to say no, he continued. :I don't care what you say. You're too weak to take this guy on your own.:  
  
:Van-:  
  
:Try to stay awake a bit longer. Please, Hitomi, let me help you. I'll be there in a sec.:  
  
:No, Van. No!!: she commanded, but he had already broken the connection.  
  
Seconds later, the black-cloaked demon appeared. He stood in front of her, a wall of protection. Suddenly, she sagged with relief. He was here, he was going to protect her. . .Anger blotted out all reason again.  
  
"Van! I told you not to come, dammit! Why didn't you listen?"  
  
"Look, Hitomi. I know we've never really argued in the past, but this has got to stop. You need to understand that you can't handle some things. Especially not in your condition."  
  
"Stop treating me like a porcelain doll!"  
  
Oho. . .family feud? Lover's quarrel? Who knows. This is fine entertainment. Raphael watched them arguing.  
  
"Hitomi, I don't care if you try to send me back to the shadows. I'm your guardian and it is my decision whether or not to obey you!"  
  
"Van. . ."  
  
"Please stand aside."  
  
She could see the strain it was causing him. The enchantments that bound him-their blood bond-were admonishing him for disobeying her orders. He was struggling against all this, just to help her.  
  
"I will not. This is my fight. My fight alone."  
  
"It became my fight the day you killed me. Now stand aside." He didn't wait any longer, but called out his challenge. "Shinma, I am Van Fanel of Fanelia. Do you wish to face me?"  
  
"So you're that King. Van Fanel." He bared his fangs in a massive grimace. "I heard you ran away from your kingdom. Is that true?"  
  
"Do you accept my challenge?" Van demanded, ignoring his taunting. "Do you, Shinma?"  
  
"My quarrel is with the Guardian, My Lord." He added the title acidly.  
  
"If your quarrel is with her, your quarrel is also with me."  
  
"I refuse to fight."  
  
"Then you will die!" Van said softly. "Those who do not fight are merely waiting to be killed."  
  
"Come and get me, Van Fanel."  
  
Silently, Van drew a sword from its sheathe of air. He charged upward, the sword at the ready. Raphael vanished moments before the sword could reach him.  
  
Hitomi watched him, still fighting the bond. She knew all she had to do was nod, and he would be released from the torture. She did not nod. She wanted to see exactly how far he was willing to bear it.  
  
The fact that he was suffering worried her. What if she made him lose his concentration? He might perish in the fight. She had to give him the nod.  
  
No! She was not going to lose. But she was weakening quickly. The soothing vampiric sleep began to creep up upon her. She needed the blood.  
  
And then, as Van cornered Raphael, he stopped, his swords frozen in air. He couldn't move. Not unless she gave the order. This was one thing he could not fight. Raphael grinned.  
  
"Can't move, can you? I didn't think so."  
  
Van snarled.  
  
"You won't be able to. Don't even try."  
  
Van looked straight at her, his eyes pleading. :Let me kill him, Hitomi!! Let me kill him!:  
  
Hitomi met his eyes.  
  
"Van, I give you permission."  
  
Raphael gasped, and melted away before Van could strike. He appeared before Hitomi.  
  
"Time for you to die, Guardian!!!!"  
  
"Van!!" Hitomi cried, shielding herself. Neither the shinma or the young demon King noticed a sly glow of flame behind her hands. Raphael gave a triumphant grunt and prepared to drive his fangs deep in.  
  
"Hitomi!" Van yelled, in response to her scream, but he saw the flame and the tiny glitter in her green eyes, and stopped dead.  
  
Raphael perished in a blaze of flames ("I will have my revenge, Guardian. . .!!! Guarrrrgh!"). Van helped Hitomi to her feet. She glanced at him.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"You're quite welcome," he said, beginning to laugh. "I can't believe you actually fooled him like that."  
  
"I've still got quite a few tricks up my sleeve."  
  
"You aren't wearing any," Van said, poking lightly at her bare shoulders, and suddenly seeming extremely lighthearted-nearly school- boyish.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Me, too. I didn't mean to shout at you. . ."  
  
"It doesn't matter. We'll need to get you some food. . ."  
  
"What about Meeru? I think she's still alive." Hitomi gestured at the prone girl in the corner.  
  
"She's slipping, Hitomi. It's no good. . ."  
  
"I knew he was watching me, so I pretended all these things. . ."  
  
Van grinned beneath the mask. "You even had me fooled. You're quite an actress, Hitomi."  
  
"Actually, I was feeling quite ill by then," Hitomi admitted. "I would have lasted much longer without food. I just let him think I was dying. The fool didn't know that I couldn't die."  
  
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Van stood quite still, then reached up and put his arms around her.  
  
"Thanks," she said again. "We'll need to go. We can't be found here, and I really need something to eat. But wait a moment."  
  
She stepped over to Meeru, who's eyes were finally beginning to cloud over.  
  
"I'm sorry, Meeru," she said quietly. "I didn't think you would be hurt."  
  
"Hi-to-mi. . .you're. . .not human. . .are. . .you. . .?" Meeru whispered, her hands going to her bleeding throat. "But. . .you. . .didn't kill. . .those other girls. . . .I can't. . . believe. . .I'm. . .not going to live. . ."  
  
"I'll answer you one question," Hitomi said to the dying girl.  
  
"I want to know. . .I want to know. . .if tomorrow will be beautiful. . ." Meeru said, her eyes dimming further. "I don't. . .understand. . .a lot of things. . .but. . .somehow, I think it's. . .better. . .I left without knowing. . .what they really mean. . .Please. . .tell me if the sun will shine on all of us. . .tomorrow. . ."  
  
Hitomi knew it was going to storm the next day. She closed Meeru's eyes and spoke in a gentle, soothing voice.  
  
"Yes, Meeru. It will be sunny. . .for you, for all the girls who have died. It will be sunny. . . Sleep now, Meeru. Don't worry. You'll see the sunlight tomorrow. Don't worry. . ."  
  
She stood purposefully. "Come, Van." He nodded, and this time, obeyed with alacrity. "We're going to leave now. I am sure the killings will cease."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Goodnight, Raphael. Goodnight.  
  
There you have it. . .chapter ten!!!! Uh-oh, but what about Raphael's brothers: Uriel, Michael and Gabriel?! Next time on Night Singer!! ^_^  
  
DragonSun 


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